This word comes from the arabic root letterغ ف ر, ">which carries the meaning of covering something, concealing it, pardoning, forgiving, setting aright. There are three related terms, al-Ghaffar, al-Ghaffur, and al-Ghaffir. Of these three, al-Ghaffar implies the quantity and repetition of forgiveness. Al-Ghaffur focuses on the magnitude of what is forgiven. I don't know about al-Ghaffir. It just gets translated the forgiver.
In making the picture, I used the picture of a wave because waves keep coming. I used red text, because red speaks of blood. and for Christians, it is understood that Jesus died on the cross so that we might be forgiven.
In the gospels, there is a story that Peter came to Jesus, who was teaching the people to forgive each other, and asked "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" and Jesus answered "I do not say to you seven times but seventy-seven times (or seventy times seven)" (Matthew 18: 21-22). God enjoins us to be freely and repeatedly forgiving.
One might wonder, if God keeps on forgiving us, do we make any progress at all? It is true that sometimes we seem to make no progress, but I think if we keep seeking to improve, we find that God does give us victory but also shows us subtler sins. At any rate, this song represents an aspect of my experience as I struggle to walk with God in integrity and faithfulness.
Over and Over
Over and over and over again
I find myself missing the mark.
Over and over and over again
I stumble and fall in the dark.
Sometimes I've tried and failed
And sometimes I've failed to try
Over and over and over again
I cry out for forgiveness from God on high.
Over and over and over again
You forgive me and help me to make a new start.
Over and over and over again
You clean up the mess in my heart.
And I stand here in wonder and awe that You
Would keep on forgiving a person who
In all of my blunders keeps coming to You
Over and over again.
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