"But surely some things can't be forgiven."

That’s what she said to me. I was a seminarian at the time, studying for the priesthood on pilgrimage to Israel with my classmates. We were visiting the campus of Bethlehem University, run by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. On that occasion, I was speaking with two female students, one Muslim and the other Jewish. And whatever else was shared, I remember clearly the way the conversation ended. One of the girls said, “But surely some things can’t be forgiven.” Incidentally, she was overheard by one of the Christian Brothers who rushed into our conversation and whisked her away saying, “Okay. Okay. Back to class.”

I will never forget that. It was an experience of the tensions that run high in that region, and which are always on the verge of boiling over. It was early 2006. Israel’s greatest threat was primarily Hezbollah. I remember that while we there Hezbollah launched a small number of rockets from Lebanon into northern portions of The Holy Land, reminders to us of the constant animosity that exists between Israel and its neighbors, manifest so often through the border conflicts.

I used to think that it’s really just a matter of time before people will forgive one another. It’s just a matter of time, I would say, before the wife will forgive her husband. Just a matter of time before the student will forgive the bully. Just a matter of time before the Israeli will forgive the Palestinian. But it takes more than time; it requires grace. And respecting the young woman who said, “Surely some things can’t be forgiven,” referring no doubt to atrocities not dissimilar to the ones being committed by Hamas today, we should remember that to forgive also requires permission from God.

I am of the mind that when a devout Jew or Muslim says, “Surely some things can't be forgiven,” she believes that she is honoring God, His justice and His greatness. It may even be seen as an admirable position; at least it’s directed toward God. And it makes sense, according to her theology. But what if she were to know Christ Jesus? What if she were to understand what He means for humanity? What if she were truly to see what it is that He accomplished on the cross? Because then she would have the one thing that makes it possible to forgive even the gravest of crimes - without offending God’s goodness. She would have His permission.

I wonder if you’ve ever thought of it that way. Have you ever thought of Christ’s death on the cross as giving us permission to forgive our enemies? I think it’s important to consider.

Think about it: Christ’s command to forgive our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us would be irrational, considering that at the same time He calls us to love God with our whole heart. I say “irrational” because surely God is all good and perfectly just. So how can I love God with my whole heart while also forgiving someone who has offended God’s creation? How can I be a friend to an enemy while still remaining a friend to God? Do you see how that would be a problem?

That’s what I mean when I say that Christ’s death on the cross gives us permission to forgive sins, without offending God. Christ paid the price for all of humanity’s sins. And not just “humanity’s” sins, but my sins, my personal sins, and yours. And He died for the people taken hostage by Hamas. And He died for the despairing young man turned terrorist who is not all that different from the Roman soldiers who drove the nails into His hands. He died for them all, saying, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”

We should remember that Christ didn't “raise Himself” from the dead. God did. God, the Father of all the living, raised Him from the dead. It was God’s way of saying to us, “You have my permission to forgive everyone and everything. Do not be afraid of offending Me in doing so. Indeed, your rejection of My gift of mercy is more offensive to Me than your enemies’ sins. I have accepted the sacrifice of My Son on the cross, the Lamb of God Whom I sent to take away the sins of the world. By His death, You are free - free to forgive sins without offending Me. I see your reverence for My holiness and My greatness. And I hear your prayers. Indeed, your sufferings pierce my heart. Now be baptized with humble and contrite hearts into the life of My Son, and offer yourselves as a sacrifice to Me in imitation of Him on the Cross, and you will find rest for your souls.” +