Common Ground Song 36 ‘Forgiveness is your Gift’
Words: Ian M Fraser / Music: Alexander Codona © Stainer & Bell
Recording (first verse only): https://music.sanctusmedia.net/hymn/361-forgiveness-is-your-gift /
Lyrics: https://hymnary.org/text/forgiveness_is_your_gift *
Featured image: Return of the Prodigal by Rembrandt (detail)

This song, by a Scottish clergyman who lived to a grand old age (1917-2018), is new to me. It is noted as being a reflection on the parable in Luke chapter 15 of the Forgiving Father (or as it used to be more commonly known, the Prodigal Son), with its reference to being ‘hugged back to life’ and celebrating with a feast.

Not many of us will have the experience of wasting our lives and inheritance, only to be welcomed back into the family with open arms; or of being the welcoming parent in the same situation, though I do know of one such family. But in smaller ways, we can learn to practice forgiveness. And through that, maybe find that it is in fact a gift to ourselves: we are not so much doing the forgiven person a favour, as releasing ourselves from the corrosive power of unforgiveness.

I preached this morning on the subject of ‘casting out fear and building confidence’ (see the separate post for the full text). I talked about fear manifesting itself in several ways, including a sense of unworthiness. The last lines of this song pick that up: ‘O God, how great your love, which takes us empty in, and with our worth unproved, lets better life begin’.

* Once again, I was unable to find a YouTube recording, but found the words and tune separately.