Albert Schweitzer, who charmed the world with his exemplary life, has showed, among so many things, that the higher teachings of life can and should be brought to all people, everywhere and at any time.

To the natives of Lambaréné, in French Equatorial Africa, he preached on Sundays.

He said: My sermons have to be very simple. I have to speak concretely to be understood. I have to use examples from their lives.

About forgiveness, he said: A person insults you. But Jesus says that you should forgive, and you keep silent.

Later, your neighbor’s goat eats the bananas from your lunch. Instead of starting a discussion, you just say that it is his goat’s fault and that it is only fair that he gives you other bananas.

If he does not agree, you leave in silence, thinking that God makes bananas grow with such abundance in your place, that you do not need to fight for so few.

Then, a man who took your four loads of bananas to sell, only gives you the money corresponding to three, saying that it is all you gave him.

You have the desire to say that he is a liar. But you think there are many lies that only you know and that God has to forgive, and you go back to your hut saying nothing.

When you go to light up the fire, you realize that someone took part of the firewood you picked up yesterday in the woods. Once again you force your heart to forgive and do not look for the thief to hand him over to the boss.

In the afternoon, you leave to work in the fields, when you find out that someone has taken your good woodcut knife, leaving in its place an old one, full of teeth, which you recognize.

You think that you have already forgiven four times and can forgive the fifth one. Although it is a day with many unpleasant things, you feel happy.

Why? Because your heart is glad, having obeyed the will of Jesus.

At night, you go fishing. You can not find your beam. You get angry and comes to the conclusion that you have forgiven too much. Again, Jesus, the Lord, rules your heart. You borrow a beam and go down to the river.

When you arrive, you  can not find your canoe. Someone went fishing with it. You hide, furious, behind a tree, with the idea of taking all the fish of the intruder when he comes back. And then hand it over to the commander of the district.

But, while waiting, your heart repeats many times what Jesus said.

When the man returns, you tell him that Jesus forces you to let him go in peace. You do not even require the fish. I believe he will give it to you, amazed that you do not want to fight.

You go home, happy and proud to have forgiven seven times. But, if Jesus came to your village that same day and you thought He would praise you, He would tell you that you have to forgive seven more times and seven more and many more, until God can  forgive your many sins.

At the end of the sermon, I make them put their hands together and very slowly I make a short prayer.

When I leave, my people rise. They leave with the living word of God.

 Spiritist Moment Team, based on article Albert Schweitzer,
o profeta das selvas ensina, from the column Revivendo ensinos…,
from the Mundo Espirita Journal, of October, 2016.
June 8.2018.