We associate parties and picnics with happy occasions of friends meeting to enjoy one another's company over a meal together. Parties usually take place indoor, picnics in pleasant surroundings out of doors.
In the Gospel accounts of Our Lord's life there are reports of such occasions. There is the colourful description of the party organised by the father of the prodigal son, when the boy renounced his riotus living and returned home. We read: "When he was still some distance off, his father saw him and his heart went out to him, and he rain and fell on his neck and kissed him." But his son said, `Father, I have done wrong in the sight of Heaven and in your eyes. I don't deserve to be, called your son any more ...
"Hurry!", called out the father to the servants, "fetch the best clothes and put them on him! Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet, and get that calf we've fattened and kill it, and we will have a feast and a celebration. For this is my son - I thought he was dead, and he's alive again. I thought I had lost him, and he's found!' And they began to get the festivities going."
After the resurrection, when the disciples met Jesus in Galilee, they had a picnic there on the lake shore. When the disciples returned from a fishing expedition, they noticed that a charcoal fire was burning, with fish and bread placed on it. Jesus said to them "Bring Me some of the fish you have caught - Come and have your breakfast." Jesus went and took the bread and gave it to them, and gave them all fish as well.
The generous love of the father seen at the `welcome home' party for his Wayward son, and by the King of Love to the contrite disciples at a picnic at Galilee is the source of confidence when we crave to be forgiven. The young man had enough faith to expect to be accepted on his return home. He was not disappointed any wore than were the disciples.
Every time we pray the words in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us", we must pray for faith in God's love. It is a source of confidence in learning to forgive others. Loving and forgiving are expected to be characteristics of church life rather than the easy ways ... the unintelligent ways of hatred.
We see displayed a great secret of learning to forgive oneself or others at that party or picnic. It is evident in the example of the generous father, and in Christ, the King of Love. Obviously they did not dwell on the faults of those who forsook them or denied them. They dwelt rather on others' good points and on their potential greatness in serving the Kingdom of Love. If we follow that policy we will be surprised to discover that hatred and negative attitudes decline. The only sensible way is to let love take control and to dismiss evil hatred. Parents will advise not to take away a child's toy without replacing it. The Heavenly Father would agree. "Where there is hatred give love."