The Eye of the Hurricane

There is a lot in the news lately about Hurricane Sandy, the weather phenomenon that is currently threatening the eastern seaboard of the United States.  I am far from a meteorologist, but I have learned in my lifetime that a hurricane is a cyclonic storm with winds blowing around a center at very high velocity. And yet, in the center of the storm is a region called the "eye" of the storm.  I am told that in the eye of the storm, the winds are calm, the sky may be clear and the weather quite mild.

I was reading a blog post by Lee Fortston today.  The post addresses forgiveness.  As Christians, we are commanded to love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use us (Matthew 5:44).  In this blog post, Fortston talks about the battle we all face when we are hurt or maligned or disrespected.  She puts it this way:

When we feel hurt, betrayed, deceived, abandoned, abused, dismissed, or disrespected to any degree, our immediate response is to fight or flee. Fighting is associated with courage, while fleeing suggests protecting ourselves. Forgiveness requires that we surpass the instinct to fight and redefine the meaning of self-preservation. 

She also says, in a moment of understatement, that this redefinition of self-preservation is not an easy task.

It occurred to me, as I was reading this post, that life can be like a hurricane, full of noise and commotion, turmoil and destruction, but somewhere in the middle of all of that is the eye of the hurricane, a place of tranquility and peace.  That place, according to Fortston, is forgiveness.

We must find the still and certain center of our hearts, the place that wants to release the grievances and find peace. It’s the deepest part of our heart that knows, without doubt, that we are divine and there is no need to fight or blame. When we feel a tug to be still rather than to fight or flee, then we’re closer to that center, a territory so subtle and sublime that it can easily be overlooked.

 While I would not agree with her that we are divine (or at least I know I am not!), I would substitute "made in God's image," which does not connote divinity but rather that each individual, as the image of God, is deserving of respect and dignity, under any circumstances.

Forgiveness is the essence of grace.  One definition of  grace is "unmerited favor." We certainly receive unmerited favor at the cross of Christ. "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Even in a situation where you are clearly in the right, forgiving your brother (showing grace) will lead to peace, and often to reconciliation.  In just this way, God, through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross of Calvary, has not only paid the penalty for our sins, He has also forgiven our sins so that we might be reconciled to Him.

Jesus told Peter that we are to forgive our brother who offends us 70 times 7 times (Matthew 18:22), which is in fact to say an endless number of times.  Why?  Is it simply so people will think we are nice?  Will it make God love us more if we keep on forgiving?  No. He already loves us enough to give His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)  I believe the reason Jesus instructed Peter to forgive unconditionally is so that Peter would have peace in his own heart.

Jesus told the disciples:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27) These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

He apparently put a high premium on peace, which He said is available because "I have overcome the world."  It is the way of the world to react to tribulation by fighting or fleeing, it is the divine way to forgive and live in peace. 

Fortston relates the following anecdote, which I think illustrates Jesus' point:

Giving up the battle is a hard concept in a culture that thrives on drama and adversity. Before I grasped this concept, I judged a friend whom I saw backing off from an argument with a coworker, a situation where my friend was clearly in the right and the coworker clearly in the wrong. I inquired why she was submitting, and she said, “I asked myself if I’d rather be right or at peace. I’d rather be at peace, so I’m letting it go.” The ferocity in her eyes showed that this wasn’t the easiest choice, but it was the best one.

Fortunately for us, we have the Holy Spirit to help us make that choice. (John 14:26)  It has been said that unforgiveness is a prison we build for ourselves, for when we refuse to forgive, it doesn't punish the other person, but it enslaves us to our bitterness.  The alternative is to choose the peace in the eye of the hurricane and let the noise and commotion, turmoil and destruction of the hurricane of life rage on without us.  The simple choice is not always the easy choice, but choose forgiveness anyway. In forgiveness is peace.