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Unless you just woke up from a coma, you’ve heard the story of the three Americans who were arrested while hiking along the Iran-Iraq border. Josh Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd were detained and accused of espionage. Shourd was released about a year after the arrest. Bauer and Fattal were later convicted of spying and illegal entry and sentenced to 8 years in prison.

This past Wednesday, after a bail payment of $500,000 each, Bauer and Fattal were finally released. They arrived back in the USA to be greeted by their friends, family, and of course, the media.

Each spoke of their experiences. Bauer addressed the concept of forgiving his captors. He said, “You may ask us, now that you are free, can you forgive the Iranian government for what it has done to you? Our answer is this: How can we forgive the Iranian government when it continues to imprison so many other innocent people and prisoners of conscience? It is the Iranian people who bear the brunt of this government's cruelty and disregard for human rights. There are people in Iran who are imprisoned for years, simply for attending a protest, for writing a pro-democracy blog, or for, worse, being an unpopular faith. Journalists remain behind bars and innocent people have been executed.” Bauer as quoted on cbs.com

What he says about the government of Iran is probably true. But I want to address what he says about forgiveness.

If Josh, Shane and Sarah want to find forgiveness in their experience, they don’t need to look to Iran, they need to look to themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not coming to Iran’s defense, far from it. Nor am I blaming the three Americans for what another country did to them. What I am saying is that forgiveness is often more about us and not about those who wrong us.

By forgiving someone we are setting ourselves free from the wrong they have committed against us. On the other hand, if we do not forgive someone for bringing harm to us (whatever form that may be) we allow ourselves to be held captive by that wrongdoing.

Forgiving someone does not mean that the transgressor is released from justice. Justice needs to be served otherwise our world will be out of balance. For example, a person who commits a crime against another may be forgiven by their victim, but they will still need to pay the penalty for their crime.

Fatta, Bauer and Shourd can forgive Iran for what has been done to them without relieving that country of its responsibility for its actions. If they don’t find forgiveness, they will continue to be captives of another jail cell. One that houses regrets and hatred. One that binds our lives from being free from our captors.

Iran needs to be held accountable for the grievances it has committed. There are plenty of more prisoners that need to be released. Call me mad, but the last two prisoners they released, along with Shourd, need to forgive their captors, knowing that justice can still be served, and they can be set free from a prison they run the risk of placing themselves in.
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The New "F" Word 04/27/2011
 
Dr. R. A. Vernon, founding pastor of ”The Word” Church in Akron, OH has declared a new “F” word for his church. He would like members of his congregation to go up to someone who has wronged them in some way and say “F” you.  The “F” word he is talking about is Forgive.

What do you think? Too edgy? Is it ok for a church pastor to be edgy? Are you entertained or offended?
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