We are only here, but for a moment. Between the gaps of life and death, God trusts us as his stewards; whereby he listens to every nuance of our communication. As stewards of God, we are his foot soldiers directed by him to leave footprints of shalom sprinkled amongst the earth. God’s foot soldiers are his co-creators, and to whom he gives much, he expects much (19). Being a steward of God requires one to be perfect examples of the gospel. Stewards uphold high standards, we do not lie, exaggerate or gossip. A steward of God communicates with well-crafted words grounded in authentic communication. A steward treats others with respect, love and understanding.
In Communicating for life: Christian stewardship in community and media, Schultze argues
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Schultze acknowledges its difficult to find grace and forgiveness in communication most of the time, no matter how hard humans strive to do so (32). For example, the book opens with the story of Simon Wiesenthal and his struggles to forgive a Nazi soldier for his transgressions against Jew under Hilter’s command. Wiesethal responses by exiting the room, he could not find grace in that moment (13). The book points out that the key to forgiveness is finding points of identification with the transgressor in your situation (35). The author uses the transmission and cultural views of communication to illustrate from a Christian worldview the strengths and weaknesses of each theory. He guides the reader through the basic reason communication theories exist and explains why such theories are crucial for human communication (47). The transmission theory reaches masses of people, so no wonder it was aesthetic to earlier Protestants; however, the biggest weakness of this theory is it diminishes God from the equation. On the other hand, the cultural view captures more of the essence of the Christian worldview. Although Schultze advocates the cultural view, he cautions one not to fall victim to relativism using this theory alone (55). Schultz asserts that humans can learn more by developing our own notions of communication. God still sits on the throne today, and his intent for human communications remain the same. God desires for humans to promote shalom through all our actions and words. Schultze drives this point home through endearing and heart strung stories across various cultures and communities. This book is a must read for anybody who wishes to communicate like the creator, or add what is sure to become a classic to his literary library. Schultze concludes that “shalom is God’s symphony, and the orchestra is gathering to
Simon Wiesenthal’s book The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness spoke to me about the question of forgiveness and repentance. Simon Wiesenthal was a Holocaust prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. He experienced many brutal and uneasy experiences that no human being should experience in their lifetime and bear to live with it. Death, suffering, and despair were common to Simon Wiesenthal that he questioned his own religious faith because he asks why would his God allow the Holocaust happen to his people to be slaughter and not do anything to save them. During Simon Wiesenthal time as a Jewish Holocaust, Simon was invited to a military hospital where a dying Nazi SS officer wanted to have a conversation. The Nazi SS officer told Simon his story of his life and confesses to Simon of his horrific war crimes. Ultimately, the SS officer wanted forgiveness for what he done to Simon’s Jewish people. Simon Wiesenthal could not respond to his request, because he did not know what to do with a war criminal that participate in mass genocide to Simon’s people. Simon Wiesenthal lives throughout his life on asking the same crucial question, “What would I have done?” (Wiesenthal 98). If the readers would be on the exact situation as Simon was
Forgiveness is crucial for a clear conscience and peace of mind for the both of them. However, all of this is arguable by the fact that today’s experiences are incomparable to those of Hitler’s times. One cannot begin to place one in each other’s shoes and know exactly how to respond to the events happening. One can only guess how they would respond, but until they are in that moment, all plausible reasoning can change. Nevertheless, forgiveness continues to be an aspect of everyday life in every century.
The essay "Forgiveness," written by June Callwood, explores the concept of forgiving and how it influences people's lives for the better. Her work describes many components of forgiveness, such as how difficult it can be to come to terms with, why it is such a crucial part of humanity, and how it affects all people. Her essay aims to prove that forgiveness is the key to living peacefully and explains specific examples of people who have encountered extremely difficult situations in their lives- all of whom found it within themselves to forgive. To clearly portray this message in her writing, Callwood uses several strategies. She includes fear inducing statistics, makes many references to famous events and leaders, and uses a serious convincing tone, all of which are very effective.
“Recovering the Scandal of the Cross,” (Green, Baker) presents an alternative means of thinking for Christians theologically. The author’s task of interpreting culture and communicating within a culture is incredibly difficult. Much of the biblical teaching of God is rooted into communicating to a specific group of people and a certain culture. Yet God has chosen the Bible as the method of communicating himself to the world. Green and Baker begin to lay the groundwork of historical influence of atonement from Anselm and Irenaeus. They later introduce ideas from Charles Hodge and penal substitution. There are four major models of explanations of the atonement: Christus Victor, penal substitution, satisfaction and moral influence. Although others are mentioned in the book, this sets the stage of the historic dilemma from which they can view atonement in their discussion of tradition.
—Forgiveness is a suite of prosocial motivational changes that happened after a person has incurred a transgression (McCullogh). McCullogh also asserts the forgiveness process includes empathy for the transgressor, generous attributions and appraisals regarding the transgression and transgressor, and rumination abalout the transgression where agreeableness takes a serious place in the person who needs to forgive someone. Andre was impressed by his father’s work, the emotion developed in Andre’s mind have given up revenge and resentment thought to his father. When Andre’s father had an accident that made his legs crushed and had to sit on a wheelchair for the rest of his life; Andre immediately felt how vulnerable people are. He cherished the relationship with his father, in fact after the accident Andre started to cherish everyone besides him. The accident was a trigger to a prosocial motivational change to Andre and his father’s relationship. “But deliver us from evil. Amen” (Dubus, 387). Andre prayed on his father’s funeral. Forgiveness needs something to trigger; Andre understand pop’s condition and forgave him. Andre knew that his father has done the best he could, and he was happy and grateful that he had a father. Moreover, Andre’s life was full of sports, the healing process was impacted by
Must one forget before one can forgive? Forgiveness involves not holding a sin against a person any longer, but forgiveness is a decision of the will. Since we cannot selectively remove events from our memory, it is impossible to truly forget sins that have been committed against us. Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor, in his book The Sunflower, writes of an experience that occurred when he was a prisoner in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. He recounts a day when he was taken from work and lead to the bedside of a dying man. The dying man Karl, a member of the SS, confessed to Simon about his dreadful act for he sought absolution from a Jew. As Karl begs for Wiesenthal to forgive him, Wiesenthal remained silent and walked away. Wiesenthal’s purpose is to argue whether the inhumane acts of the SS should be forgiven. Because
On the contrary to orthodox consensus, Kennedy sees the doctrine of forgiveness as one silencing factor that caused further emotional trauma on abused children (131-4). However, I think the Christian concept of forgiving is indeed a double-edged sword rather than a paradox in child abuse issue. In other words, it could either offer spiritual support or it could worsen the victim’s e...
The essay, “A Christian World View,” by Mickenzie Neely seeks to address some major themes that pertain to a Christian worldview. The essay, in summary, states that “serving others, accepting and giving grace, sacrifice, and justice are all essential to living for Christ.” This essay was presented in a way in which she used facts and scriptures from the Bible to support her point. This paper will analysis Neely’s main arguments and will evaluate my opinion of her writing. The main topics that apply to my Christian worldview are love, service, grace and forgiving.
God’s law demands sins to be confessed and forgiveness be requested in order to become stronger through Him. 1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (ESV). Just as the BSC is a strategy for organizations to grow stronger, God’s strategy of sinners confessing and requesting forgiveness is a way for Christians to become stronger. Economies of Scale and
When compared to each-other, each of the religion’s approach to justice and forgiveness is remarkably similar. Although the customs and standards may vary widely, and in fact vary even within different sects of each religion, justice and forgiveness operate on largely the same principle: man’s nature is to act against God’s justice, but man is capable of repairing his relationship with God through the process of forgiveness.
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”(Matthew 6:14-15, NIV) Husain Haddawy’s The Arabian Nights discusses many situations in which individuals learn to forgive others for the wrong that they have done against them. The Bible refers to the idea of forgiveness as an act not only for the person that has wronged you but for yourself; in order to grow, we have to forgive because if we do not, God will not forgive us. Haddawy’s literary work emphasizes the importance of forgiveness through the stories relating to the Demon and King Shahrayar.
We see it effects us in our communities as well: when warring gangs call for a cease-fire after years of senseless killings; when a spouse accepts into his or her home, a marriage partner who has repented from unfaithfulness; when a former addict becomes sober, makes amends, and is fully restored to family and community. Each time we witness an act of forgiveness, we marvel at its power to heal, to break a seemingly unending cycle of pain. Forgiveness is something virtually all Americans aspire to. Following September 11, 2001, Palestinian and Israeli officials issued orders to pull back from aggression and violence. The world is witnessing astonishing acts of forgiveness and of seeking forgiveness. Forgiveness is the key that can unshackle us from a past that will not rest in the grave of things over and done with. As long as our minds are captive to the memory of having been wrong, then we are not free to wish for reconciliation with the one who wronged us.
A strong Christian lesson on the true nature of forgiveness can be found in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount:
...which is indeed a vital aspect. Only when such things are considered, people can be transformed to be great beings. They should also spread the quality of forgiveness among others by developing it within themselves. It needs to be referred that this is an integral quality mentioned in the Bible, which needs to be followed by one and all.
Today's Gospel reading shows us that the Lord is with us through times of trial… or when the storms of life get to be too much to handle. Whether He calms the storm as he did for the disciples, or asks us to let him walk through the storm with us, as Paul talks of in 2 Corinthians, or gives us the strength to fight against it, as He did for David while up against Goliath; he is always with us. He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.