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				Letters to the Editor Forgive Hi, I just wanted to know if forgiving 70 times seven is to be done daily, and if so, where does it say that? I know we are to forgive our brethren as God has forgiven us, but I'm just curious where that has come from... Thank you. -- CeL Your question is both profound and vital to the foundation of all human relationships. All of us are hurt by others at one time or another -- whether accidentally or intentionally. And if we're really honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that we, too, have hurt others. Hopefully we have done so accidentally and not intentionally. It is easy for Christians to talk about the need for forgiveness because that concept is so fundamental. Yet, in real life, it is often hard to practice because of the emotional hurt we feel. In the model prayer, Jesus Christ said to ask the Father to forgive our sins as we forgive others (Matthew 6:12). Two verses later, after completing the model prayer, He returns to the idea of forgiveness and says (in verses 14 and 15) that if we forgive others, God will also forgive us. But if we don't forgive others, neither will God forgive us. We cannot choose when and how often we should forgive, it needs to be all the time. In Matthew 18 Peter asked if forgiving someone seven times was enough (verse 21). Jesus' answer in the next verse says to forgive 70 times seven -- implying that we never stop forgiving. He then gives a parable about forgiveness and ends in verse 35 with the statement, "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." One note of caution, however. Forgiving does not mean you give someone the right to injure you again (such as in cases of abuse). This does not seem to be your question, but we mention it, lest someone wrongly get the idea that Christians have to continue putting themselves in positions to be hurt. In order for the relationship to be healthy, the other person needs to be willing to not repeat whatever the hurt was. Lessons From Creation Hello... I loved the article by Kevin Ford, "Lessons From Creation". It's such an inspiring subject, and the article is well-written. It whetted my appetite, and I would have liked for the article to have been much longer with more amazing facts about God's creation. Thanks! -- Don Hooser Some feedback messages are edited for space and/or clarity Copyright 2007 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved.

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