Tokens of forgiveness

[Fr. Jos Tharakan]

The rains God sends are tokens of forgiveness. Joel 2: 23b

 

This beautiful sentence in the bible gives a tangible experience to forgiveness. Rain becomes very real in our lives. It is cooling, soothing, and life giving.

 

Imagine the number of times you had been in rain. Remember the times you ran away from it, hid from it, trapped in a car, or any such occasion when you thought it would be safe if not in rain. Rain sometimes is scary and sure it gets us wet. Rain as much as is life giving, it can take our life away as well. So, rain is a beautiful thing when we don't have to be in it.

 

Now let us replace the word rain to read forgiveness. Forgiveness is cooling, soothing and life giving. It is scary at times to experience forgiveness and be forgiving. But many times we hide from forgiving and being forgiven. Hidden in our own safe places, we sometimes don't experience the power and healing forgiveness offers. God sends us forgiveness over and over and we run away from it and hide under the roof of our metal cars and thick walls. Let us come out of our hiding and experience the forgiveness God sends us in our lives. Everytime it rains, let us be reminded that God is sending us his loving forgiveness and let us take it all into ourselves.

 

God's rain is God's love and every rainfall is only a fraction of the forgiving love that falls into our lives without cost.

 

Blessings

Fr. Jos