Kirk Reflections 3rd March 2024.
Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.
A 3-Part Series on the importance of Forgiveness starts this Sunday entitled:
"No future without Forgiveness."
We'll be looking at the following themes:
Foundations of Forgiveness
How to Give Forgiveness
How to Receive ForgivenessHere's a wee story to prepare you,
Roy Burkhardt had the task of finding working for New York parolees. He tells of one business owner who never failed to find some job for an ex-convict. After many years the employer asked Roy if he had never wondered why he worked so hard to find jobs for rehabilitated criminals.
Then he told Roy Burkhardt his own life story:
It seems he was a young man working for a company in Columbus, Ohio, delivering goods and collecting money. Over time, he stole several hundred dollars from the company. One day his boss suddenly told him, “Go home. I’ll take your route today. Bring your wife and come to my house this evening.”
He waited at home all day with his wife asking why he wasn’t at
work. Of those hours he later said, “Don’t tell me there isn’t a hell. I
lived through it that day.”
In the evening, the young couple went to the boss’ house and was
greeted warmly by the boss and his wife. After they had visited in a
friendly way, the older man turned to the younger one and simply asked him to tell his wife why he had not worked that day. It was an ordeal, but the young man began unloading the grim facts of what he had done. His poor wife broke down and wept. Then the boss spoke again, stressing how morally wrong the man’s conduct had been, saying, “I could put you in prison, but I’m going to give you another chance.” He instructed the young man to report for work as usual the next day. “We will not let you handle money, yet,” he said, “but you will have an opportunity to redeem yourself.”
So he went back to work and eleven years later became president of
the company. As he related this story, his eyes filled with tears. It
was why he kept giving others a second chance.”
