The Essence of Forgiveness

The Essence of Forgiveness

Into every soul lies the ability to receive God’s goodness.  It can be compared to a magnet that attracts the necessary elements of its compounding makeup.  Within the very depth of grace we find the attraction of all that is holy and a treasure of eternal peace that only comes through the absence of sin.

If one looks at the total structure of what the soul may represent we need to conform to the requirements the builder has asked each person to adhere with the elements or particles that make-up this precious commodity.  First it is like our creator, who cannot be enclosed in a human understanding of a Spirit.  None of us could sit down and draw something that is visible and tangible and say here is the design of the soul.  Since this entity is the very life of the human being we might say here is what the soul looks like.  However, the life-giving essence the soul gives to our mortal beings is not physical but spiritual.  This gives at times a misleading understanding that our physical existence is really spiritual in nature.  It isn’t, but it does take on a spiritual entity that can’t be touched, yet at the same time it is within a touchable form, the human body.  

What all of this creates is a mysterious existence of the soul and its openness to receive God’s forgiveness when needed.  Understandably, the forgiveness God gives freely to each sinner who seeks it has a receptacle, our soul, always prepared to accept this free gift.

Think of a sports arena where a ball or some type of a catapulted element is hit or projected to another person or team.  It is there descending to be caught and make a difference in the score of the game.  There must always be something or someone waiting for the prize that determines the outcome of the competition.  

Place the challenge of a sinner who is ready to receive God’s forgiveness and calls for the treasure, projected towards the sinner, and opens the soul to accept the grace of love God is  sending to the penitent.

The intangible essence of our soul is eternal and can only exist spiritually when we seek to receive this greatest gift of forgiveness God wants to give us.  An example of how much God loves us is found in more than one parable.  Look at the Prodigal Son.  The story is not about the wayward son, or his unforgiving brother.  It is a complete teaching of the Father’s forgiveness which always overlooks our sins.  This is the very reason our Father sent his Son Jesus Christ through the Incarnation;  The divine taking on our likeness of a fallen race so we could live forever in heaven.  This is the essence of Forgiveness.  

Ralph B. Hathaway