“Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted…” (Proverbs 27:5-6, NIV).

     I Facebook messaged a friend the other day with whom I hadn’t connected with in several years. He remarked that he was shocked to see how much hair I had lost. I responded by telling him that I wasn’t shocked whatsoever that he hadn’t lost his panache for candor.

     Shortly after my granddad died, my grandmother experienced an extended bout with depression. Elizabeth Kubler Ross claimed that depression is one of the five steps of grief. However, depression can become a chronic condition requiring medical and psychological intervention.

     The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for persons whose loved ones have died. For some, the pain of grief can intensify during the seasons when families gather together for special occasions. While many of us are celebrating, there are others who are suffering silently.

“If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15, NIV).

     At times the Scriptures appear contradictory. The passage above is just one example. Jesus’ statement apparently conflicts with the idea that we are all saved by grace through our faith in Christ. In other words, God does not forgive us because of the good things we do but as a result of our dependence upon Jesus for our salvation. How, then, can it also be true that God will not forgive us when we refuse to forgive others?