Stories of Forgiveness
If we hold a grudge against someone, the door to God will be closed. It will be absolutely closed, with no way to him. Only if we forgive others will we be forgiven. I am sure that many prayers are not heard because the person praying has a grudge against someone, even if he is not aware of it. Jesus says more than once that before we pray we must forgive. If we want Jesus, we must have a forgiving heart.
Ebooks: Stories of Forgiveness
Why Forgive?
Why Forgive? brings together survivors of crime, betrayal, bigotry, and abuse—and ordinary men and women plagued by everyday strife. Not all are ready to forgive. But all are determined not to let anger, bitterness, and despair control their lives. For this newest edition, author Johann Christoph Arnold has updated several stories, added several dramatic new ones, and explored a new angle not addressed in earlier editions: forgiveness between people locked in ethnic strife.
God's Revolution: Justice, Community, and the Coming Kingdom
"We confess that we are not and cannot be without sin. We remain in need of forgiveness, and therefore we must ask for forgiveness. Just as we need forgiveness for ourselves, we must forgive others. And Christ, who came from Heaven to help us on earth, will give us the strength for this..."
Homage to a Broken Man: The Life of J. Heinrich Arnold
People who knew J. Heinrich Arnold (1913-1982) say they never met another person like him. Some speak of his humility, sensitivity, and compassion; others of his frankness and earthy humor. In his presence, complete strangers poured out their darkest secrets and left transformed. Others wanted him dead.
Homage to a Broken Man is a remarkable story of betrayal and forgiveness. Read it, and you’ll never look at your own life the same way again.
Eberhard Arnold: Writings Selected
"This is forgiveness of sin: being sure that his love is greater than all else. However invincible the powers of sin seem to be, however dark the forces of sickness appear, greater than all is the power of love, the forgiving, restoring love that was revealed in Jesus Christ."
Articles: Stories of Forgiveness
Routing the Nazi Ghosts...
The generation of the Third Reich now goes through its death throes. What will bring these people peace before they die? And how can the future generations find redemption from these ghosts of history? I know two people, a German and a Jew, who discovered where healing can be found.
Roll the Stone Away
A young pastor tries to counsel a college student who is trapped by guilt and fear. "It was evident that despite her intelligence and pretty smile, Christine was in some kind of prison and had come to tell me about it. But there she sat, motionless..."
Forgiveness, Hope, and Auschwitz
You don’t “visit” Auschwitz. You don’t willingly enter the site of greatest evil and suffering the planet has held. The darkness is too great.
My Hat Off to Tiger
Tiger Woods’ departure from golf shows the danger of idolizing human gifts at the expense of one’s soul and sanity. Being admired by millions only makes people very lonely and isolated...
Christian de Chergé: a Story of Forgiveness
To many people, the death of de Chergé and his fellow monks proves the worst stereotypes of Islam. But to him it was the expected cost of being a peacemaker. This article is an excerpt from the new edition of Why Forgive?
Not as the World Gives: A Story of Forgiveness
Manuel is old and infirm. Who knows how much longer he’ll live? His future here is imperiled by a landlord who wants to sell the house rather than renew the lease. He worries about the financial burdens he is placing on his son. But now that he has been able to confess his sins, and been offered the gift of forgiveness, he will be able to let go of these anxieties, and find peace.
The Healing Power of Forgiveness
Far from leaving us weak and vulnerable, forgiveness is empowering, both to the person who grants it and the one who receives it. Two Palestinians tell their stories.
Gathering of Forgiveness: A Step to Reconciliation, Kigali, Rwanda
We know that when Jesus was on the cross, he said: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” May we also have the strength to pray the same prayer...
Will the Virginia Tech Tragedy Change Us?
As we contemplate the shooter, let us love and forgive. The cycle of senseless violence and death can be overcome only by good. The power of love alone robs every violent deed of its power...
Where Do We Go From Here? Responding to School Violence
Forgiveness is for everyone--not only for the Amish. It is the universal answer to breaking the cycle of violence that is destroying this world. Forgiveness is power, not a weakness. It can heal both the forgiver and the forgiven. It will change the world if we allow it. In short, we hold the keys of forgiveness in our hands, and we must choose whether or not to use them every day...