From the Chaplain

The Middle School and Years Eleven and Twelve students had a chapel service about forgiveness. They read out a moral story about a python snake that goes into a carpentry workshop. It slithers over a saw and gets slightly wounded, then turns around to bite the saw in annoyance. The snake then hurts its mouth and then in anger by what the saw had done, it wraps itself around the saw to try and suffocate it. Then of course, the snake dies as it wraps itself around the teeth of the saw. The last part of the story says, ‘Sometimes we react in anger to hurt those who have harmed us. Sometimes it is better not to react so as not to suffer consequences that can sometimes be deadly or harmful to ourselves. Instead, choosing to forgive.’

We considered some forgiveness quotes: ‘Remember, a wound will only become infected if it is left untreated. Yes, there may be a scar, but ask yourself if you are still walking around with an open wound--and how much longer will you wait to begin having it treated?’

Writer Lina Trochez wrote: "Forgiveness does not erase the past, but looks upon it with compassion. To withhold forgiveness keeps alive emotions of hurt, anger and blame which discolour your perception of life; trust the power of forgiveness to heal the hurt and pain". We discussed the story of the paralysed man at Capernaum and the song Forgiveness by Matthew West and why he wrote it.

It's the hardest thing to give away

And the last thing on your mind today

It always goes to those who don't deserve

It's the opposite of how you feel

When they pain they caused is just too real

Takes everything you have to say the word

Forgiveness, forgiveness

So let it go and be amazed by what you see through eyes of grace

The prisoner that it really frees is you

We had some bible verses:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven”. Matthew 18:21-22

Mrs Naomi Cooper | Chaplain