The Face of Forgiveness

by: Tammy De Ruyter

Max Lucado tells the story of Madeline. As a child, she would dance with her poppa every Christmas Eve. He carried her, legs dangling, laughter bubbling. When she was older, father and daughter glided across the floor. And so it went, as Madeline grew. Then came the teenage years, including piercings, dark clothes, the attitude, and the bad-news boyfriend. The nights got longer and Madeline drifted farther away.

One night she left. Weeks turned into months. Her money gone, Madeline turned to the only thing she knew: dancing. She was too proud to go home. Drugs became her only companion. Finally, Poppa tracked her down and sent a message inside the club. Trembling with fear, Madeline opened the envelope. “I know where you are,” she read, “I know what you do. This doesn’t change the way I feel. Will you come home and dance with your poppa again?” Tears streamed down Madeline’s face. “And so the two danced again on Christmas Eve.”

God is more magnificent, more loving, than any human experience we can know. “God’s shining countenance,” says theologian Jurgen Moltmann, “is the source of the outpouring of the Spirit and of God’s life, love, and blessing.” To see his face is to receive his forgiveness. How can we bear to look upon the face of God? Because God’s love is greater than our shame and sin.