July and August are often times when we take time to rest as a couple and as a family. Why not use some of this time to nurture our reflection and dialogue in a fun way? This month, as a couple, we could discuss and explore the topic of forgiveness based on the films suggested here: “Amish Grace”.
Forgiveness doesn’t heal the wound. It opens the door.
When Peter asked how many times one should forgive, Jesus replied, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ” Matthew 18:22—that is, to forgive without ceasing. But to what extent can we forgive an offense? A lie? Infidelity? A child’s crime?…
Jesus also tells us in Matthew 18:18, “Amen, I say to you: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” To loose another is to free oneself from hatred and the spirit of vengeance.
The American theologian William Smedes once said:
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free—and to discover that the prisoner was you.”
We are thus called to forgive—as couples, as families, and more broadly in our relationships and among our families—in order to become free.
Movie Synopsis: “Amish Grace”
At an Amish school in Pennsylvania, ten young girls are targeted by a non-Amish man seeking revenge against God for taking his newborn baby. Five of the girls die, as does the perpetrator, who commits suicide. Immediately afterward, three Amish men—including Nathan, the father of one of the victims—go to see Amy, the perpetrator’s widow, to tell her that they forgive her husband and that they will be there if she needs help. Amy, who is horrified by what her husband did, does not understand their attitude. Neither does Adèle, Nathan’s wife, who feels her faith wavering and begins to consider leaving the community—a move that would make her an outcast. Nathan has forgiven the unforgivable so as not to let hatred take over his heart and consume him…
For those who are curious, here is a link that introduces the Amish community: