Easter and the power of forgiveness

This is Easter weekend, a time when Christians around the world pause and reflect on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's the ultimate story of love and redemption. How God sent His only Son to pay our debt on the cross. The redemption and forgiveness of our sins.

Jesus' example on the cross -- "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) -- is a reminder to us that we are to forgive others. There is freedom that comes through forgiveness.

Earlier this week I interviewed former ESPN producer Jason Romano about his new book, "Live to Forgive."

As a producer for the ESPN Radio show "Mike and Mike in the Morning," Romano had the job most red-blooded sports fans dream about. He was paid to think about sports, produce a show about sports and interact with some of the biggest stars in sports.

But more than 16 years into his career, Romano felt a calling to leave the cable sports network and enter ministry. In December 2016 he accepted a role with Sports Spectrum, a Christian-based media outlet that produces a quarterly magazine and podcast. It's part of a pro-to-pro outreach that includes The Increase and Football Sunday.

Former ESPN Radio producer Jason Romano, center, poses for a photo with Mike Greenberg, left, and Mike Golic, right, from “Mike and Mike in the Morning.”Submitted

But there's more to Romano's story than his career in media.

When he was 5 years old, Romano's parents divorced. His father suffered from alcoholism, which further strained the broken relationship with his sons. But in the years that followed, Romano would learn the power of forgiveness.

Writing a book was not something on his agenda. But on Memorial Day 2015 he preached at a Connecticut church and shared his story.

People came to him after the sermon to say how they went through the same emotions. Then in 2016 Romano shared the message with a group of teenagers and watched the message connect.

A friend, who is also an author, encouraged him to write a book.

"He started saying, 'You don't understand the impact that your story can have on a lot of people, you need to write this story.'"

After taking time to pray about it, he made the decision to proceed with the book.

"It's really about coming to forgiveness in your life and the relationships you have moving forward with those who hurt us," he said. "So the book is 70 percent narrative. It's my story with my dad basically going from the time I was 10 years old until the time I was able to forgive him when I was 40 years old."

While the father-son narrative is Romano's story, he says the message goes well beyond.

"Not everyone has a broken relationship with their dad. But almost everybody has struggled with forgiveness at some point in their life," he said.

Romano can point to parallels in his own life with the Easter story.

"When we die to ourselves, when we accept Christ, we're literally letting what He did on the cross to take seed inside of us, take shape inside of us," he said.

Romano said when we forgive others the benefit is not for them but us.

"We're the ones who are stuck. So when we forgive, there's sort of this freedom that takes place. In all ways that's what the Easter story is...Death being arrested at the cross. And then when Jesus rises from the grave and ascends to heaven, that's the glorious day that we all can experience. That freedom that comes in accepting and having a relationship with Him. It's a beautiful redemption that we can all really have in our lives."

I'm reminded, particularly during Easter weekend, of the popular Chris Tomlin song Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone). The chorus says it perfectly:

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace

My prayer this Easter is that you, like Jason Romano, experience the freedom that comes with forgiveness. Both in forgiving others but, ultimately, accepting Christ's gift of forgiveness paid through His death, burial and glorious resurrection.

That's the message of Easter.

Happy Resurrection Day.

Lucas Presson is the assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian. His email is lpresson@semissourian.com.