Forgiveness is an interesting
idea and ideal. We all acknowledge its significance in our lives, especially in
our Christian expression of life; however, how easily is it applied in our
daily acts and thoughts? It seems to me that it is a respectful idea and
thought, when applied to others, believing that we can be exempt by its
‘burden’. ‘Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have
something to forgive.’[1]
This is a powerful sentence, which explains the fact that we tend to like what
Christianity has to offer us; nonetheless, we feel that we are or should be
exempt by many of its beliefs.
An interesting notion is to
understand forgiveness in stages. You can’t expect to forgive your enemies,
before first forgiving your loved ones, your neighbour. By forgiving those
closer to us, we are inevitably able to also love them, understand them and
accept them. When establishing the forgiveness towards those close to us, we
are then ready and mature to evolve and forgive those who are not close to us,
and maybe our enemies. This, of course is a revolutionary idea. How does one
forgive his enemy? However, by forgiving ones enemy, we come closer to God. In
the Gospel of Matthew (6:15) we read: ‘But if you do not forgive men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ We should all
have this in mind, when thinking of reaching the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of
God, of being in communion with Him.
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