Kobe Bryant, Good Will Hunting, and the Gospel
Tonight I turned over to Nightline hoping to catch a Friday night, week-end catchup on the most important news of the week. I was expecting something on Iraq, the economy, the democratic presidential candidates. What I got was Kobe Bryant.

I watched as Kobe sat by his wife and declared repeatedly, "I am innocent." Honestly, I sat and thought, "How can you even say that? You cheated on your wife! If you broke that most intimate of convenants, how can anyone trust you?" The truth is that I don't know if Kobe is guilty of the felony charges or not...and even better, its not my job to know. My only role--if I have one-- is to offer the good news. It's so wonderful that in the Gospels Jesus says to his disciples this astounding thing: that if they forgive any man his sins, he will be forgiven. I don't know if the Church has grasped that concept. That we have been given the authority and the privilege to forgive sins. Just like when the paralytic was lowered and Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven." What scandal! What heresy! It can't be true!

Isn't it strange that we have no problem of taking the role of God when it comes to judging a person. That seems to be natural step, to be the right thing. But this is the very thing Jesus tells us not to do...to judge. However, taking God's place in forgiving someone, well, that's a different matter. It doesn't seem natural and doesn't feel right. I mean, surely Jesus didn't really mean we could forgive someone their sins. Maybe the things they've done against us, but not their sins in general. But that's what Jesus seems to be saying...that we can. That's the thing he is telling us to do.

Woudn't it be wonderful if Christians were known not as judgemental hypocrites, but as these freaky people who went around forgiving people of their sins? I think of that scene in Good Will Hunting where Robin Williams says to Matt Damon's character, "It's not your fault." Matt responds, "I know." -- "It's not your fault." --"Yeah, I know." -- "No...it's not your fault." -- "Don't f--- with me, Sean." -- "It's not your fault." Each time Robin Williams steps closer until they end in embrace. What a wonderful scene. I wish Christians, Church, and myself were like that. Not disallowing for the possibility of people's fault, or making excuses--those who recognize their sin don't need or (I believe) really want that. But the simple words, "You're forgiven."

I can see it like that scene, "You're forgiven." -- "Yeah, sure."--a step closer & "You're forgiven." -- "Yeah, okay, whatever." --Step "no, listen, you're forgiven." -- until it ends with the embrace, the brokenness, and the reconciliation.

Isn't that the good news we're supposed to be sharing with everyone?
posted by Jimmy at 12:28 AM | |