Treachery

It's a frigid Saturday afternoon here in Suburbia Majora. Though the wind is blowing over a dusting of fresh-fallen snow, I'm inside listening to Vivaldi's "Gloria" and ruminating over the events of a very painful Friday afternoon where the acts of one individual reached their painful climax.

The good folks over at Merriam Webster define "Treachery" as:

"a violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence" or "an act of perfidy or treason"

Perhaps for the first time in my life, I and my family have been the victims of the treachery of another. This was no casual acquaintance; this was one whom my family had opened our home, our table, our purse, and our hearts to. We knew that the individual faced some profound psychological, personality and emotional challenges, but we loved and embraced her in spite of them. She was, for a number of years, a welcomed face. All of this abruptly changed in the late summer of 2010 when in a fever-brained fit, a false accusation was leveled by this individual. I'll spare you, the gentle reader the sordid details, but as a result of her lies, we now sit smarting and nursing our wounds all the while being several thousand dollars poorer for it.

My mind has run the full spectrum over the past twenty four hours. I don't want to hate her, nor see her come to a bad end, but I have to confess that those thoughts have been very powerful this morning. She has wounded my family through her lies and the desire for retribution and revenge are very strong and natural. Still, I find my self in conflict over those desires to see her suffer for the damage she's done. As a dad, I want to throttle her; as a Deacon, I want to look her in the eyes and say "Despite all that you've done, I forgive you." It is so infinitely easy to hate and and want to strike back in retaliation. It's a completely natural response when we've been wounded by another. Yet as the adopted offspring of the Almighty, we've been called to a new nature and a new response. Is this easy? I'd be either an outright liar or a pollyanna-ish fool if I said it was. God no! It is hard. Yet saints like Corrie Ten Boom have demonstrated to us that through the help of the Almighty, it is possible not to hate those who have wronged us.

So, with God's help, I say to this individual: "You've hurt and wounded me and my family. You've been a source of heartache and the cause for tears. And though every cell in by body would desire to curse you, I forgive you with the forgiveness that was given to me. With God's help, I will continue to forgive and ultimately forget your treachery. May God forgive you as well."