Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Extreme Love

As some of you know, I'm a big fan of Law and Order: SVU. The one thing about having cable now is that USA has it on almost every day. Several episodes. I could be in total TV heaven if I wanted to be. But I'm digressing.

Anyway, the episode I watched last night gave me an interesting perspective on forgiveness. They were tracking down a serial rapist and running out of time to do so. They finally realized that one of the victims knew who raped her. They did everything they could to get her to tell, but she refused, saying she'd forgiven him and that she didn't feel it was necessary to bring him to justice. She'd prayed with him and she knew he'd never do it again.

I realize it's just a TV show, but it struck me so hard-watching this woman who'd been brutally raped be willing to go to jail to protect the identity of her rapist. Her faith moved me.

I look at the idea of praying for my enemies, and I realize that my faith is not that strong. I don't think I could go to jail to protect a person who'd wronged me. I'll be honest, if I have the opportunity to bring someone who wronged me to justice, I would. Even at the end of the show, when it was revealed what a poor, broken man the rapist was, I was hard-pressed to find enough compassion for him to offer him that forgiveness.

And yet, isn't that the love Christ has asked us to give others?

Not only do I pray for my enemies, but I pray that I would be able to learn to love like Christ-that I would be so filled with His love that I could love like that.

1 Comments:

Blogger Angela/SciFiChick said...

Wow, great points. I don't think I'd be as forgiving either.

10:01 AM  

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