If Christianity is about anything, it is about forgiveness; not forgiveness as merely an end in itself or a legal means of escaping punishment, but forgiveness as reconciliation and total restoration, according to Brian Zahnd in his book Unconditional? The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness. The troubled relationship between God and humanity is restored by forgiveness, and forgiveness alone has the capacity to achieve peace and reconciliation within human relationships.
Forgiveness is something which is easier to talk about than to do. Forgiveness is easy when the wrong is small and the cost is low, but much more difficult when the harm caused by the wrong is great. Nonetheless, as the author discusses in Chapter 3, if followers of Christ are called to imitate Christ, then surely this extends to the way he forgave those who did wrong to him, even as on the cross he forgave those who were crucifying him.
How should Christians respond to the perpetrators of the Holocaust? How should Christians respond to the perpetrators of terrorism today? These are inherently political questions, but many of the things which Jesus said present us with political challenges. The author discusses the tension between forgiveness and justice, how forgiveness can kill hostility, and how forgiveness can transcend tragedy.
The book comes as a timely and uncomfortable challenge to the prevailing mindset of evangelical Christians. I found thoroughly convincing the author’s argument that the forgiveness brought through Christ’s death on the cross for our sins is central to Christianity, and the life of every follower of Jesus should therefore be characterised by forgiveness of others. I highly recommend this book to anyone open-minded enough to have their attitudes challenged.