2 Corinthians 2:5-7 (NLT)
5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.


In 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 the apostle Paul had written to the Corinthians saying, “I also received a report of scandalous sex within your church family, a kind that wouldn't be tolerated even outside the church: One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. And you're so above it all that it doesn't even faze you! Shouldn't this break your hearts? Shouldn't it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn't this person and his conduct be confronted and dealt with?” In the verses above Paul acknowledges the hurt that was caused by this situation. But he goes on to say now is the time to forgive and comfort the man so he might not become discouraged. More than likely the man had repented of his sin and now was the time to show the same love, grace and mercy Christ shows.

I started reading a biographical article on Author Ann Lamott, which said “Anne Lamott writes and speaks about subjects that begin with capital letters: Alcoholism, Motherhood, Jesus. But armed with self-effacing humor – she is laugh out-loud funny – and ruthless honesty, Lamott converts her subjects into enchantment. Actually, she writes about what most of us don’t like to think about.” As I searched for more information some referred to Anne as a hard core liberal. There are some who disagree strongly with her beliefs. She does not always agree with right-wing conservative evangelists who have southern accents. But what Ann Lamott does that stands out is she always speaks about the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. People may not always agree with her view and she definitely does not always agree with others. In fact she has received hate mail and threats for some subjects she has written and spoken out on. However, Anne keeps going back to grace and mercy. She is willing to forgive and love those who have differing opinions and beliefs because of her love for Christ. So like Paul I urge you to reaffirm your love for others knowing Christ loved you. If some has hurt you in the past maybe it is time to forgive.