In an article by David Brooks from the Atlantic Magazine – entitled “How America Got Mean” he says that the lack of moral formation over the last number of years in North American Society has meant that selfishness and cruelty to others have been given free rein and we live in a society in which people are no longer trained in how to treat others with kindness and compassion. It does not happen naturally he claims, and we are suffering from a lack of moral formation that in the past has happened in communities of various types.

Matthew’s Gospel takes the challenge of having followers of Jesus having a moral forgiveness and the true north of that compass is forgiveness. Matthew 18:21-35 introduced us to the parable of the King who forgives a substantial debt only to have that man forgiven turn around and throw someone in prison for a small debt. Why is forgiveness the key to the gospel and what do we do with that incredible gift of forgiveness? Why, we pay it forward!