forgiven little forgives little

I grew up in a family surrounded by irreconcilable differences.  My parents had one brother each, who disowned their sons and grandchildren.  We had cousins whose marriages ended in divorce.  Our family welcomed all comers, regardless of their "in" or "out' status.  It was the Cowan way.

On its surface, it would appear that we were a forgiving family, practicing God's Custom of absorbing and treating injury with loving justice and mercy.  In reality, however, I believe we were more of a tolerant family, or at least this describes me.  Tolerance holds on to the judgment of the other's moral inferiority, taking the superior posture of a kind of acceptance in which there is neither love nor justice nor mercy.  When I did wrong at home, I was told to "think about" what I had done, but there was no resolution.  I didn't seek forgiveness, nor was it offered.  I was tolerated.  Since I didn't experience forgiveness, it's been hard for me to give it.

Jesus says to Simon, the intolerant Pharisee, those who are forgiven little love little (Luke 7:47).  He could have said, those who are forgiven little forgive little.  In reality, Jesus has forgiven us much, showing us a Forgiving Love that laid down His Life for us, His friends (John 15:13).  His invitation to Simon, to me, and perhaps to you, is that we lay down our lives before Him, regularly seeking forgiveness from Him and from others.  He invites us regularly and copiously to drink of His Greater Love poured into us by The Holy Spirit and sometimes by others.  With this reservoir of Love, you and I will then be given Grace to lay down our lives before others, doing way more than tolerating, but forgiving and forgiving and forgiving as we have been forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven.