The Courage to Forgive A reflection on humility, the Cross, and peace in Manipur A personal reflection on Luke 23:39–43 and Mark 12:31

Chongboi Haokip, MCIHort
I’ve been reflecting deeply lately on forgiveness, grief, humility, and something even closer to the heart - how Jesus sees us, not as the world sees us, but as we truly are. How difficult it is to go through the grieving stage when someone close to us passes away. I have been grieving for two years, since my father passed away, as I was close to him and got inspiration from him. Only the love of Jesus comforted me and gave me the strength to accept that it is a natural process that all of us have to go through.
Someone is not a Christ follower just because that person happened to be born in a Christian family. For me, there are two types of Christians – nominal/religious and those who have a personal relationship with Christ. I’m not religious in the conventional sense. But I do have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I have accepted Him as my Saviour through personal repentance, and my full faith is in Him alone.
And from that place, not because I am perfect, but because I am saved, I want to share what moved me today.
The Scripture for Reflection - Luke 23:39–43 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation ? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Two Men, One Cross, One Moment of Grace
In Luke 23, verses 39 to 43, we are given one of the most extraordinary scenes in all of human history. Jesus is on the cross. He is dying. And on either side of Him hang two criminals, equally condemned, equally broken by the choices that led them there.
One of them abuses Jesus - ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us.’ It is the cry of a man following the crowd — mocking, sceptical, bitter. He is looking for a miracle on his own terms. He wants rescue without repentance, salvation without surrender.
But the other man is different. He rebukes his companion with startling clarity: ‘Don’t you fear God ? We are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ And then, in what I believe is one of the most quietly courageous acts in Scripture, he turns to Jesus and says: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
No long prayer, no theological argument, and no list of good deeds to balance the scales. Just a humble, honest acknowledgement of who Jesus is — and a request to be remembered.
And Jesus, hanging there in agony, with nails in His hands and the weight of human sin on His shoulders, answers without hesitation: “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Jesus Looks at the Heart
What strikes me most about this passage is the standard by which Jesus responds.
He does not ask for a track record. He does not require years of faithful service. He looks at the heart.
The first man’s heart was closed — proud, demanding, unwilling to acknowledge truth even in his final hour. The second man’s heart was open — humble, honest, reaching out in faith with nothing to offer but himself.
In the eyes of the Lord, we are all sinners. Every single one of us. He came not for the righteous, but for the lost. And the only thing that separates those who receive His grace from those who do not is the posture of the heart. Humility opens the door, and pride keeps it shut.
This is why forgiveness is not weakness. It is one of the most spiritually demanding acts a human being can perform — and one of the clearest signs that the Holy Spirit is at work within us.
When Forgiveness Costs Everything
I speak now from somewhere deeply personal. I could forgive those who burned down our home. I say this not to boast, and not because it was easy. I say it because I know it was a misunderstanding — and because I know that without forgiveness, I cannot have inner peace with God. That peace is not a passive feeling. It is a daily, sometimes difficult, choice. But Jesus, the true Shepherd, did not wait for us to be worthy before He forgave. He forgave from the cross itself. How then can I withhold forgiveness from my brother or sister?
To my fellow Christ-followers across our beloved Manipur — I want to encourage you to speak more openly about forgiveness. Not as an abstract virtue, but as a lived practice. Pray for those who have lost loved ones and for those who are still carrying grief so heavy it has turned to anger. By the grace of God, healing is possible — but it begins when we are willing to release what we are holding.
Love Your Neighbour
Mark 12:31 brings it home with beautiful simplicity : You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these ‘How beautiful that the Bible does not tell us to love only those who look like us, vote like us, or belong to our ethnic community. It says ‘neighbour’— the person beside you, the one you live alongside, even the one you have been in conflict with.
I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to the people of Imphal, our brothers and sisters from the Meitei community, for their thoughtfulness in welcoming the people of Manipur. Someone needs to make a gesture first – and you got it! Your efforts will be fruitful in due course.
Who Pays the Price?
We must ask ourselves a hard question: who benefits from this conflict? And who pays the price? It is usually the poorest in society who suffer most. Families living on the front line of nearly three years of unrest, who have lost not just property, but precious lives, schooling, safety, work, and hope. In India, being the world’s largest democracy, every citizen has the right to protest through lawful and peaceful means.
But we must never allow the poorest and most vulnerable to carry the highest cost of political and communal strife. That is not justice - that is not the way of Christ!
Inner peace with God supports peace with others. This is not a slogan — it is a spiritual reality. When we are at peace within, when we have given our burdens to the Lord, we become capable of empathy, of dialogue, of seeing the humanity in those we once called enemies. Progress in Manipur will depend on exactly these things: empathy, dialogue, and unity — sustained through patience and persistence, not just surges of emotion. A new heart and a new mind are possible — the scripture promises it.
A Moment to Reflect - A Commitment to Reconcile
As we remember Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection, let us reflect, learn from history, and choose justice and reconciliation. Anne Frank’s words still speak today: while the past cannot be undone, we each have a responsibility to help prevent such suffering from happening again, including in Manipur.
An inspiration from the cross at Calvary - it is possible to forgive even the unimaginable, with God’s help. To the victims’ families - we deeply empathise with your pain and grief, and we are praying for you for God’s comfort and healing. Let us take that lesson from Calvary and carry it into our communities, our conversations, and our hearts.
Both men were guilty, both suffering, both right beside Jesus — yet only one went to Paradise. Not because of what he had done, but because of the posture of his heart. And the most breathtaking part? Jesus was dying, in agony, carrying the weight of the world’s sin — yet the moment one broken man turned to Him in repentance, He did not hesitate: ‘Today you will be with Me in Paradise’; If that is His forgiving power in His final, most painful moment, then no one is too far gone. Just an honest heart turned toward Him — like that dying man who asked, ‘Lord, remember me’— and that, He never ignores.
Manipur — I pray for you and your people. God bless all. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’ (Matthew 5:9, NIV).
Statement: I do not support illicit poppy cultivation. I support sustainable alternatives that strengthen society and help affected farmers in Manipur. I stand firmly behind the Manipur Government’s ’War on Drugs’ campaign. As a strong, united community, we must work alongside government agencies that are helping farmers abandon illegal poppy farming. We, the people of Manipur, can eliminate unlawful poppy cultivation through collective effort. I call upon the entire Manipur community to unite as one team in this fight against illegal cultivation of poppy, working together to create sustainable livelihoods and a healthier future for all.
About the author: Chongboi Haokip, MCIHort, is an international development consultant specialising in agriculture, horticulture, trade facilitation and sustainable development. Join me on X @ChongboiUK and on Instagram @chongboiuk.