Why God Hasn’t Forgiven You Yet
Fringe recently stepped beyond the bounds of it’s CSI+Sci-Fi formula to dabble in a spiritual question: How can we know if God has forgiven us?
A great secret was revealed: Walter Bishop was guilty of a heinous crime, and he wondered if God could forgive him. He shared his desire for God to send him a sign to a like-minded scientist. The scientist, in turn, sent Bishop the sign he was looking for.
Fringe has revealed an often overlooked aspect of God’s forgiveness: US. Evangelicals like to talk about God’s forgiveness all night and all day. However, we rarely get beyond the cross and theories of atonement. This leaves forgiveness as an inexplicable transaction somewhere in the ether.
For Jesus, forgiveness is an action of God, demonstrated through the actions of his followers. He instructs the disciples to pray “forgive us of our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” Elsewhere, he uses hyperbole, telling them they should forgive a brother seven times seventy times. Like so many other gifts from God, forgiveness is delivered by those who represent him.
The sequence in Fringe wasn’t too different from the forgiveness demonstrated in the Truth and Reconciliation committees in South Africa and Rwanda. The stories of the sin must be spoken aloud, aired out, so that those affected may choose to put it behind them. No matter how grievous.
This is a formula that can guide us through helping others experience God’s forgiveness. Listen to their stories, and in the name of Christ, assure them that God offers his forgiveness.
