By Ptr. Jesame von Tronchin
Forgiveness—if we’re honest—is one of the hardest things Jesus asks of us. Especially when our anger feels justified. Yet when Peter asked how many times he should forgive, Jesus answered: “Seventy times seven.”
Recently I read about Kevin Nolan, whose 21-year-old son, Martin, was shot and killed in 2021 because of someone else’s misplaced anger. When the killer was finally sentenced, Kevin said something that struck me: “I’m not spending the rest of my life hating.” He urged others to release bitterness too, because “that’s what got us here in the first place.”
Forgiveness didn’t erase Kevin’s grief or make the loss make sense.
But it did something else: it kept his heart from becoming a battlefield.
There’s a Japanese art called kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold. The cracks aren’t hidden—they become the most beautiful part of the piece. I think forgiveness works the same way. We don’t deny the hurt, but when we invite God into our broken places, His grace becomes the gold that holds us together.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting.
It doesn’t mean the harm was small.
It simply means you refuse to let someone else’s wrongdoing write the rest of your story.
And when you choose to release the weight of bitterness, Scripture promises:
“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:7
May God give you the courage to loosen your grip on what’s been heavy, and may His peace fill the places where anger once lived.