For they know not what they do...

Many people think of the phrase "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" at this time of year. But I think a lot of people miss the full implication of this simple short sentence. It was one of the last things that Jesus said before he died, as he hung on the cross, and so I think it is of some importance.

I was about to drive home on my motorbike today when I realised I had a flat tyre. I therefore went to the local puncture repair shop (you see them every couple of hundred metres here in India) and asked the man there to fix it for me. This usually costs about 15 pence. He removed the tube, and showed me how the tube was split at the valve, and I would therefore need a new tube, at around £2. Sure I said. However he then showed me that there was also a nail through the tyre, and a second hole in the tube.

this made me highly suspicious. Two simultaneous problems concurrently causing a flat tyre - hmmm...unlikely. I picked up my old tube, and looked at the hole near the valve, which now looked to me decidedly like a knife incision. then on closer inspection of the shop, i realised that the heater for rubberising the glue they use for puncture repairs was in pieces on the bench inside. At this stage I realised that he had never been able to fix my puncture.

I therefore went on (to his surprise) to explain my findings to him in pretty passable Hindi, and proceeded to tell him that God was watching everything! He looked sheepish. I remained calm though, and paid him and left.

As I drove down the road, I was musing about the fact that God was watching everything the lad had done, and would hold him accountable. Suddenly the thought of Christ hanging from the cross with crowds around his feet mocking him came to me, and those words - "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do".

What struck me was not God's forgiveness. We all know God is willing to forgive those who ask him! What struck me was the second part of the sentence - "for they know not what they do".

Arguably in the history of mankind there has never ben a greater injustice than Christ's crucifiction. Without a doubt the perpetrators were not repentant (as they mocked him) but this didn't matter to Christ.

What did strike me, was that Christ forgave these unrepentant sinners. Not because they acknowledged that he was the Christ. Not because they were repentant. Not because they went to Church, or took communion, or because they were good, or loving, or religious.

He forgave them because they did not know what they were doing.

Is ignorance an excuse then? Maybe. What did the man fixing my puncture think about ripping me off? Did he think

"here is a poor soul who I'll take advantage of"?

Just maybe he thought
" I haven't been able to make a living for several days, because my equipment is broken. I am hungry, my mother is sick and in hospital, my son is thin and hasn't had a proper meal for days. My wife deserves better".

Maybe he thought
"Here's a rich foreigner, he won't miss a couple of quid, perhaps if I just damage his valve he will buy a new tyre, and I'll be able to get my puncrure repairing machine fixed and start to make a living again".

As I drove along on my bike, I prayed a short prayer

"father forgive him, for he knows not what he is doing"

Immediately I felt better. My petty anger and resentment left me. I felt lighter. I absent-mindedly realised that wrecking my tubing wasn't going to be a stumbling block to that young man getting into heaven.

Another verse came to mind
"If you forgive their sins, they are forgiven. If you retain their sins they are retained"

Next I had to say a wee prayer for myself.
"Father forgive me for all the times that I have harboured an unforgiving heart towards others. Father forgive me for all the times I have retained another man's sins. Father forgive me, for I knew not what I was doing..."

How many people really realise "what they are doing"? How many people really realise the importance of their minute every day actions? How many people are philosophers? How many Indian peasants struggling to survive understand the complexities of God? Of the trinity? Of Christ's substitution for us on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins?

Not many? None? And nor do I. Or maybe I'm just beginning to...

"How great the fathers love for us..."


"...Father forgive them, for they know not what they do..."

Testimony of a friend

My friend emailed me this story a month or so back. I really liked it, and so I asked him if it would be OK to put it on my blog. He has agreed, and has also added the story to his own blog http://warddrennan.blogspot.com/ . He even found this picture of the actual chapel in the story.

"I didn't return to church until I was 29. In grad school near the end, I had no idea where my career was going, was under major stress and extremely tense. I had gotten dumped by my girl friend of 18 months and was feeling the pain. It was a bright sunny spring day. I was strolling through campus, full of lots of trees in full bloom, and early 20th-century limestone architecture. There was a chapel. I had another girlfriend later. She was afraid of church, and that relationship had ended quickly a few months ago. I suggested to her back then that we go in the chapel, but she refused. So now alone, on a quiet campus, it was 23 or 24 degrees C (75F), soft breeze, cumulus clouds dotting the baby blue sky. I said,

"She didn't want to, but I'm going in".

I approached it cautiously, was anyone going to see me? was it open? was anyone inside? I opened the door and stepped into complete calm, tranquil, extraordinary peace. I looked around at the charming little chapel with Oak pews and trim. I was actually in awe of how lovely it was and had forgotten about life outside. Among seats for maybe 100, I stood in solitude. There was a kneeling place next to the entrance where it was written something like "May all who pass here kneel and pray". I hemmed and hawed about it. Yes, no, should I do it? Would someone walk in? Somehow it was hard to do something like kneel and pray. I'd be giving in, somehow losing my pride. But after looking at that kneeling place and contemplating it 3 or 4 times, I did it. I kneeled and quietly prayed. I stood up free. It was a new world. Like drinking fresh mountain spring water after hiking in a desert, parched. What a fantastic change of mood. My worries were gone, the tension lifted, and I was filled with joy again.

Yeah, church is good."

Thanks Ward!

Church Bulletins

These sentences appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services;

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow..

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double door at the side entrance.

I want to be...

Once upon a hill, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars and said:
"I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean.
"I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"

The third little tree looked down into the valley below.
"I don't want to leave the hill at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."

Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.

The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said,
"This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell.
"Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" The first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said,
"This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell.
"Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree."I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up.
"Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoicedwhen the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river; instead she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.
"What happened?" The once tall tree wondered.
"All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."

Many many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams.

But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox.
"I wish I could make a cradle for him." her husband whispered.
The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood.
"This manger is beautiful" she said.
And suddenly the first tree knewhe was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said,
"Peace."
The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beam was yanked from the forgotten woodpile.She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her.She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

Keep your fork - and not the three pronged variety!

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given 3 months to live. As she began getting her things 'in order', she called her pastor and asked for him to come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she wanted read, and what dress she wanted to be buried in. She also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible in her left hand. Everything was in order and as the pastor was preparing to leave, the woman suddenly remembered one final request that was very important to her.

'Please Pastor, just one more thing,' she said excitedly.

'Sure, what is it?' came the pastor's reply.

'This is very important to me,' the woman continued ... 'I want to be buried holding a fork in my right hand.'

The pastor gazed at the woman, at a loss for words.

'That surprises you, doesn't it?' the woman asked. The pastor replied 'Well to be quite honest, I am puzzled by the request'.

The woman explained. 'You see, Pastor, in all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I remember that when the dishes were being cleared after the main course, someone would inevitably lean over to me and say, 'Keep your fork' ... it was my favorite part of the meal because I knew that something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie. Something wonderful to end the meal!'

The pastor listened intently and a smile came upon his face.

The woman continued, 'So, I just want people to see me there with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ... 'What's with the fork'... then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your Fork ... the best is yet to come'.

The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye.

At the funeral, every one that walked by the woman's casket saw her wearing a beautiful dress with her favorite Bible held in her left hand and a fork held in her right hand.

During his message, the pastor told the people about the conversation that he had with the woman shortly before she died. He explained the fork and what it symbolized to her.

So the next time you reach for your fork, let it remind you, oh so gently, that the best is yet to come...

What keeps you going?

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Tennis player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983.

From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed:

"Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"?

To this Arthur Ashe replied:
"The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals, when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'. And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?'"

"Happiness keeps you Sweet, Trials keep you Strong, Sorrow keeps you Human, Failure keeps you humble and Success keeps you glowing, but only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going..."