Forgiveness and Reconciliation are not the Same Thing

Here’s a 5-minute video about forgiveness, supplying a part that is too often omitted. Everyone knows that you have to forgive, or you will not be forgiven by God; but not everyone knows that it is possible to forgive without reconciling. Forgiveness is for something in the past, and reconciliation is about the present and future. You can forgive, without reconciling, if it would expose you to abuse. You can hope for full reconciliation one day, but you don’t have to begin it at the same time you forgive.

About Frederica Mathewes-Green

Frederica Mathewes-Green is a wide-ranging author who has published 11 books and 800 essays, in such diverse publications as the Washington Post, Christianity Today, Smithsonian, and the Wall Street Journal. She has been a regular commentator for National Public Radio (NPR), a columnist for the Religion News Service, Beliefnet.com, and Christianity Today, and a podcaster for Ancient Faith Radio. (She was also a consultant for Veggie Tales.) She has published 10 books, and has appeared as a speaker over 600 times, at places like Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Wellesley, Cornell, Calvin, Baylor, and Westmont, and received a Doctor of Letters (honorary) from King University. She has been interviewed over 700 times, on venues like PrimeTime Live, the 700 Club, NPR, PBS, Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times. She lives with her husband, the Rev. Gregory Mathewes-Green, in Johnson City, TN. Their three children are grown and married, and they have fifteen grandchildren.

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