There was a situation in which a passenger on a motorcycle felt that the driver of the car behind them put them at risk because there was an overtake attempt that was aborted. When the driver of the car finally drove up to and along side the motorcycle as it turned off to another part of the road, the passenger screamed out “may god forgive you”.
This is a very common saying in this society and context. It is a response to a perceived offense by someone who sees themselves as sincere and above spilling or spitting abuses. It is not uncommon for people who see themselves as godly and religious speaking this out whenever they feel they need to voice their discontent without being seen as vulgar or as sinners. To the offended, the action that has just taken place is something grave that has disturbed the receiver and God, and without reeling out abuses and curses as “sinners” would naturally do, it is then up to God to forgive the people.
The unspoken part of the message is “as I cannot forgive you”. It is then up to God to forgive you though it is me that has been offended, I see it that it is up to God to do the forgiving and not me.
In all honesty, it does not place the person in a better place. It actually accentuates the sinful nature of the speaker. The Lord spoke about forgiving one another when he taught the disciples that when they pray, they should ask for forgiveness from the father as they forgive those who trespass against them (Matt 6:12). If we feel we have been offended, we have the power to forgive and be done with it and understand that we have been forgiven much ourselves. This is what the parable of the unforgiving servant emphasizes.
We all have artifacts of legalism in us but while some are trying to move away from their legalism of “I behave therefore I am accepted” others dig deeper holes and secure themselves more and more in the mire of religiosity by manufacturing means and slangs and statements that on the face value without putting much attention sounds good until the statement is put before the mirror of the word and then its falsehood comes to light.
When next the temptation comes to us to say may God forgive you, let us train ourselves to truly forgive and say I forgive you except of course we have no desire to forgive but then, why involve God as he has already told us to forgive seventy times seven times.
May God Forgive You
July 24, 2016 by Jide Ajayi • Issues, Life • Tags: The Things We Say • 0 Comments
There was a situation in which a passenger on a motorcycle felt that the driver of the car behind them put them at risk because there was an overtake attempt that was aborted. When the driver of the car finally drove up to and along side the motorcycle as it turned off to another part of the road, the passenger screamed out “may god forgive you”.
This is a very common saying in this society and context. It is a response to a perceived offense by someone who sees themselves as sincere and above spilling or spitting abuses. It is not uncommon for people who see themselves as godly and religious speaking this out whenever they feel they need to voice their discontent without being seen as vulgar or as sinners. To the offended, the action that has just taken place is something grave that has disturbed the receiver and God, and without reeling out abuses and curses as “sinners” would naturally do, it is then up to God to forgive the people.
The unspoken part of the message is “as I cannot forgive you”. It is then up to God to forgive you though it is me that has been offended, I see it that it is up to God to do the forgiving and not me.
In all honesty, it does not place the person in a better place. It actually accentuates the sinful nature of the speaker. The Lord spoke about forgiving one another when he taught the disciples that when they pray, they should ask for forgiveness from the father as they forgive those who trespass against them (Matt 6:12). If we feel we have been offended, we have the power to forgive and be done with it and understand that we have been forgiven much ourselves. This is what the parable of the unforgiving servant emphasizes.
We all have artifacts of legalism in us but while some are trying to move away from their legalism of “I behave therefore I am accepted” others dig deeper holes and secure themselves more and more in the mire of religiosity by manufacturing means and slangs and statements that on the face value without putting much attention sounds good until the statement is put before the mirror of the word and then its falsehood comes to light.
When next the temptation comes to us to say may God forgive you, let us train ourselves to truly forgive and say I forgive you except of course we have no desire to forgive but then, why involve God as he has already told us to forgive seventy times seven times.