In the hurried chaos of today's world, where outrage seems to dominate the narrative, the concept of forgiveness often feels elusive. It's a poignant observation echoed in an article from Vox magazine, which succinctly captures the essence of our cultural moment: "Everyone wants forgiveness, but no one is being forgiven."
“The state of modern outrage is a cycle: We wake up mad, we go to bed mad, and in between, the only thing that might change is what’s making us angry. The one gesture that could offer substantive change, or at least provide a way forward — forgiveness — seems perpetually beyond our reach.
as a society we have absolutely no coherent story — none whatsoever — about how a person who’s done wrong can atone, make amends, and retain some continuity between their life/identity before and after the mistake.”
In other words, everyone wants forgiveness, but no one is being forgiven, and no one knows how to negotiate forgiveness at a cultural level.”[1]
This societal yearning for forgiveness is not a new phenomenon. It speaks to a deeper human need for redemption and reconciliation. In the midst of this search for absolution, there exists a profound void—a lack of coherent narrative guiding individuals and communities toward forgiveness. Yet, buried within the annals of history lies a timeless story of forgiveness and redemption—the Christian narrative.
At the heart of this narrative is the cross—the symbol of ultimate sacrifice and unconditional love. It is to the cross that believers turn for solace and guidance. For in the sacrifice of Christ, there lies the promise of forgiveness without strings attached—a truth as relevant today as it was two millennia ago.
The essence of forgiveness permeates the teachings of Jesus Christ, who exemplified compassion and mercy in his interactions with others. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks of the transformative power of forgiveness when speaking about the woman who anointed His feet with oil, declaring:
For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:47
He instructs his followers to pray for forgiveness and to extend forgiveness to others, as articulated in the Lord's Prayer and the epistles of Paul:
‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32
The Fountain of Forgiveness
Amidst the turmoil of his own life, William Cowper—an acclaimed poet of his time—found solace in the message of forgiveness. Born into privilege but plagued by personal tragedies and loss along with mental health struggles, Cowper grappled with despair and hopelessness attempting suicide on multiple occasions. It was during his darkest moments, confined within the walls of an asylum, that he encountered the transformative power of God's grace.
Through the pages of the Bible, Cowper discovered a narrative of redemption that spoke directly to his wounded soul. In the words of the Apostle Paul, he found reassurance:
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26
This realization marked a turning point in Cowper's life—a moment of profound surrender and acceptance of divine forgiveness. He later recalled this moment and wrote “I could only look up to heaven in silent fear, overwhelmed with love and wonder.”
Following his release from the asylum, Cowper's path intersected with that of John Newton, a former slave trader turned minister and hymn writer. United by their shared faith and mutual struggles, the two men forged a deep friendship, leading to collaborative efforts in hymn writing.
In 1770, inspired by the Scriptures and the profound truth of God's forgiveness, Cowper penned the timeless hymn, "There is a Fountain." Rooted in the imagery of Zechariah's prophecy (Zechariah 13:1) and the narrative of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:29-43), the hymn vividly portrays the cleansing power of Christ's blood. Only someone who himself has bathed in the forgiving fountain of Cavalry can portray these wonderful truths:
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away:
Through the poetic lens of a forgiven man, Cowper captured the essence of redemption—the transformative experience of being washed clean by the blood of Christ. His hymn stands as a testament to the enduring power of forgiveness—a message that resonates across generations and cultures.
As we navigate the complexities of our modern world, where forgiveness often feels scarce, the hymn of the forgiven beckons us to the foot of the cross. It is there, in the shadow of Calvary, that we find the ultimate expression of forgiveness—the outstretched arms of a loving Savior. May we, as the church—the community of the forgiven—proclaim this message of hope to a world in desperate need of redemption.