As we head toward Good Friday and Easter, we keep reflecting on God as Father and how his love transforms how we see ourselves and others, then we dig into the gift and difficulty of forgiveness. We walk through four questions:

1. whether we can forgive when someone doesn’t ask (we can release bitterness unilaterally even if full restoration requires repentance),
2. how to forgive when we can’t forget (remembering isn’t the same as forgiving),
3. what to do when our feelings don’t match our decision (emotions can lag like a bell’s momentum or lingering heat after the thermostat is turned off),
4. and how to forgive when we don’t want to (we can pray, “I want to want to forgive”).

We’re invited to bring our pain honestly to God, entrust justice to him, and begin the healing process in prayer.

00:00 Easter and Forgiveness

01:19 Four Forgiveness Questions

01:52 Forgiving Without Apology

03:47 Forgive Without Forgetting

05:38 When Feelings Lag

09:12 Wanting to Want Forgiveness

11:04 Lament and Letting Go

12:41 Bitterness Hurts You

14:29 Healing Invitation and Prayer