Living Beyond Offense: Doing the Hard Work of Forgiveness God’s Way

Bible teacher Conner explains in her meditative debut why forgiveness is a central tenet of Christian faith. Forgiving others, the author suggests, is essential to maintaining relationships with other inherently “fallen” humans who invariably hurt one another; it’s also a means of extending to others the “radical grace” that Jesus offered to humanity. Conner is careful to clarify that forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting, which isn’t always practical and can mean unhealthily suppressing one’s emotions. A more realistic approach is a kind of dogged, day-to-day recommitting to mercy, reminiscent of God’s biblical vow to “cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” She also explores in detail how forgiveness can be compatible with holding offenders accountable and need not entail reconciliation, which necessitates both “offender and offended” committing to repairing the relationship. Throughout, the author draws intriguing links to her own fraught efforts to forgive her unpredictable, alcoholic father for being absent for much of her childhood, and examines broader implications for today’s cancel culture, which, she argues, is a direct repudiation of “the mercy-filled and shalom-making culture Jesus was seeking to create among his disciples.” Christians who’ve had a tough time letting go of a grudge would do well to pick this up. (Nov.)