One of our favorite parodies of all time is The Princess Bride which features the character Inigo Montoya. When Montoya was a lad his father, a fine sword craftsman, was killed by the evil Count Rugen who refused to pay the already agreed upon price for a fine sword. And so, Montoya devoted his entire life to the pursuit of swordsmanship and on taking revenge on this evil man. The bitterness and hatred he felt fueled itself, growing larger and larger until it consumed his every breathing moment…every moment of course, when he wasn’t in a despair-induced drunken stupor.

Eventually, after many years, Montoya was able to execute his revenge, challenge the murderer to a duel, and complete his life long ambition of achieving revenge. But he was left with a sense of disappointment and lack of purpose. He comments reflectively to Wesley, ‘You know, [it’s very strange], I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it’s over, I don’t know what to do with the rest of my life.’

Does that story resonate with you? Have you devoted part, or maybe all, of your life to feeling you aren’t good enough, or to being envious of others or regretful or something you did or something done to you? Have anger, bitterness, hatred, taken up residence in your heart because of something that happened in the past? And now it is affecting both your present life and threatening your future? Are your past hurts keeping your candle from burning brightly? Our past has some influence in shaping how we got to where we are, but it doesn’t have to decide our future. You are free to make a choice to bury the past; let it go. It will not be solved. But your future path, ah that is something for you to decide . . . today. Put on compassion, kindness, humility…and beyond all these things, put on love.

“And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Colossians 3:12-15