The Audacity of Forgiveness

I noticed the phenomenon again last Friday as I was watching CNN's "The Situation Room." John McCain was speaking on a rainy day (the day commemorating the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. some forty years ago) to a primarily African-American audience in front of the motel where the killing took place. McCain was apologizing for not voting in the Senate some years ago to establish the Martin Luther King day. The audience members were calling out loudly, "We forgive you" and "Everybody makes mistakes." I have seen that audacity of forgiveness before many times, most recently after the Clinton-Lewinsky sexual encounters. What is it, I ask myself, that allows the majority, it seems to me, of African-Americans to be so forgiving when they have been so wronged?

I asked an African-American pastor from Ft. Smith, Arkansas, about that recently. I do not remember receiving any type of satisfactory answer at that time, but I would like to explore the question myself. Perhaps one reason is that, after years of disrespect from the Anglo community, the listeners simply appreciate apologies that seem straight from the heart. Another possibility is they are able to forgive the sins that they themselves have made: sexual indiscretions or mistakes in judgment. Contrast that to the Anglo community who overwhelmingly refuse to admit sin until the evidence of their guilt is clear. Perhaps they are closer followers of Jesus' words about forgiveness than we Anglos are. Even the purest man on earth asked forgiveness on the cross for those who had hurt him the most in life.

Though I cannot explain this phenomenon, I admire this audacity of forgiveness trait very much and long for it more in my life.