"If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." - Luke 17:4
During a late-September major league baseball game in 1996, Roberto Alomar became enraged when umpire John Hirschbeck called him out on strikes. Alomar got into an argument and spit in the umpire's face, earning a five-game suspension and a place in baseball infamy.
Alomar made matters worse afterward by saying he thought Hirschbeck was under stress because his 8-year-old son, John Drew, had died of a rare brain disease in 1993 known as adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD).
Alomar and Hirschbeck made public apologies to each other on April 22, 1997, standing at home plate and shaking hands forgiving one another in front of the crowd before a baseball game. “You know, I just wanted to put it behind us,” Hirschbeck said. “I said something to him once and it just flooded out how sorry he was.”
Hirschbeck and Alomar joined forces to raise awareness about ALD and to raise funds for research. “We are now great friends,” said Alomar. “We have done some things with charity. God put us maybe in this situation for something.”
The Lord calls upon us to forgive others just as we have been forgiven by Him. Today in prayer, thank Christ that you have been freed from your sins and then forgive others in the same way.
"They who forgive most will be most forgiven." - Philip J. Bailey
God's Word: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." - Colossians 3:13
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