By Laura Reuter, Prayer Coordinator
This article was first published in our Spring 2023 Ready magazine.
In a setting where forgiveness is so countercultural, Scripture Readers point military personnel to the forgiveness that Jesus offers.
Jesus expects His followers to forgive. We see this when He teaches His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:12, ‘…and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors’.
When a reckless driver narrowly misses your car, when a colleague offends you or when a trusted friend lies to you, Jesus wants you to forgive. It is safe to say that is not our default response; it is not natural for anyone. When a wrong is committed against us, we feel hurt, we get angry, we want justice. Left to ourselves, we want everyone else to know about how we have been wronged or we replay what happened over and over in our minds.
That is not our default response; it is not natural for anyone.
Service personnel live, breathe and work amongst the same people day in, day out.
Naturally, we seek revenge, or we harbour bitterness and quietly celebrate when something bad happens to the wrongdoer later. Forgiveness feels impossible and yet all things – including forgiveness – are possible with Christ.
Service personnel practically live on top of each other. Whether at the barracks or away on exercise, they live, breathe and work amongst the same people day in, day out. Tensions rise, relationships are strained but SASRA Scripture Readers are there to offer a listening ear.
They meet personnel who struggle to work harmoniously with their peers, with those frustrated with decisions made by the Chain of Command and with others who are navigating themselves through broken relationships back home.
Image: A Scripture Reader praying with a soldier. © SASRA
Scripture Readers point to the forgiveness that can be found in Jesus.
As they listen and offer support to these individuals, Scripture Readers point to the forgiveness that can be found in Jesus. If this forgiveness is understood and accepted, it can transform a person in such a way that in any situation, they are ready to forgive. Bearing grudges and taking revenge is so ingrained in civilian and military societies that forgiveness has become countercultural and unglamorous. We need Christians to pray for Scripture Readers as they proclaim the message of forgiveness in such a challenging environment.
Will you join us in praying for our service personnel and Scripture Readers as they proclaim the message of forgiveness to them?
PRAY WITH US
- Pray Scripture Readers would have opportunities to point service personnel to the forgiveness that Jesus offers.
- The work of our Readers is about relationships and so there is ample opportunity to receive and offer forgiveness. When wronged, pray that Scripture Readers would fix their eyes on the forgiveness that is theirs in Christ and in His strength, extend it towards others.
