Certainly This Man Was Innocent
Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and said, "Certainly this man was innocent!" (Luke 23:47) Lent is a season of repentance and forgiveness. It is a time for healing of the soul and making peace with God and one’s neighbor. Now, as we remember Jesus’ wounds that make us whole, I’d like to say a few words about forgiveness and the combat soldier. I’ll divide my remarks into three categories, and then draw some conclusions about guilt and forgiveness. Deliberately injuring the innocent Inadvertently injuring the innocent Injuring enemy combatants Even if you are not a combat soldier, perhaps you will find something here that applies to your life, as well. Deliberately Injuring the Innocent A combat zone is like no other place on earth. It’s chaotic, frightening and deadly. It can seem like no law – human or divine – could exist in such an environment. That is a false perception. Deliberately injuring the innocent, abusing them, exploi...