Forgetting Wrongdoings

Winona Ryder was one of the brightest young actresses of United States, having appeared in notable films such as “Beetlejuice”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “Girl, Interrupted” and “Mr Deeds”. There has been little news about her either in tabloids or mainstream media for sometime – until she made a plane from Los Angeles make an emergency landing in Heathrow, London on November 22, 2008 due to illness, after she took an overdose of tranquilisers. If only to add insult to injury, most news items recalled her conviction for grand theft and vandalism for shoplifting $5,500 worth of designer clothes and accessories at Saks Fifth Avenue department store in 2001. Media do not easily forget wrongdoings.

So do most people. More so, if a person is personally affected by the wrongdoing, there is a tendency for the heart to harden. In most instances, individuals ignore the wrongdoer, while others go to the extreme of seeking revenge.

Forgiveness is a virtue that many among us find difficult to inculcate. We must imitate our God who is a forgiving God. “He is so rich is kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.” (Ephesians 1:7) He wants us to be perfect, yet He allows us to decide on what to make out of our lives. He sees us when we do wrong.  He is saddened when we sin. He keeps reminding us though that if we want to be with Him, we must follow His commands. If we confess and repent, He forgives us. To cleanse our heart and soul, He allows us to partake of His body through communion. “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.” (Matthew 16:28)

He provides us with a fresh clean state – erasing and forgetting whatever infractions we committed. “Though yours sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

Winona had paid for the stolen items, served 480 hours of community service, remained under probation for three years, suffered public humiliation and had a setback in her acting career, but in the eyes of the world the mistake she once committed remains a blot that won’t go away with time.  Not so with God:  “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9)

by Mel Libre