Glad To Forgive - my review of a great little book on forgiveness

I have enjoyed the privilege of knowing Dr. Tom Mills for a little while, and I just love his encouragement, his positive attitude, and his smile, often in times of pain and frustration.  Last fall, as I was preparing for a teaching series on the subject of forgiveness, I read Tom's book on the subject.  I commend it to you if you are struggling with forgiveness.

Tom writes with the heart of a pastor.  He shares personal stories, as well as classic stories that illustrate forgiveness (and unforgiveness). The story of his friend, Peter Loth, is both heartbreaking and inspiring.  It shares the reality of how difficult, yet how beautiful and possible, is this great idea called forgiveness.  He shares the medical and psychological evidence against bitterness and resentment.  He makes a great case for forgiveness.

Tom also shares Biblical truth and insight.  You will want to read this book with your Bible close at hand.  Don't read it too fast, but make sure to take the time to study these passages.

I also love how Tom sets forgiveness in the context of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is really the only way forgiveness makes any sense at all.  I had to circle this quote:  "The price of forgiveness is high. It is the price of love." (page 71)  Again, at this point the preacher comes out.  But true to Tom's heart, he has a way of saying difficult things with a slight drawl (it's the Texan in him) and a sly smile that reminds you that you are loved even as you are confronted.

In the last couple of chapters, Tom casts a vision for forgiveness as a witness for Christ that is sorely needed around the world.  He writes, "If choosing to view an offender through the eyes of God truly is a biblical principle, then it has universal application.  If it has universal application, then love leaves no choice but to make every effort to see even those terrorists as created in the image of God." (p. 133)  He wrote those words in view of the terrorist attacks of 2001, but they are even more on target now, as even this week Islamist extremists slaughtered 21 Christians and then sent the video around the world.  If we are living in the end-of-the end of the age, as many believe, then we ought to expect persecution.  And persecution will tempt us toward anger and bitterness.  However, we must hear and apply Tom's closing words:  "One of the greatest demands of the end of the age is a spirit of forgiveness." (p. 177)