Article March 21, 1994 Issue

The heart to forgive

Who would want to miss the healing and progress that come along when resentment gives way to Christlike love?

Sandra Peterson

Have you ever felt so wronged that it seemed impossible to forgive? Sometimes even though we know forgiveness is a good idea, we might not find the right feelings in our heart.

Forgiveness can indeed seem hard and in some cases even unwarranted toward those who have badly used us. But man in his true nature is the very image of God, who is Love; he is not a finite, vulnerable being, subject to injury and to feelings of resentment. Whatever the circumstance, the spiritual fact is that man cannot harm or be harmed. He is upheld by Love. Nor has he limited reserves of affection, because he expresses Love's inexhaustible nature. However far from being descriptive of the human scene these spiritual facts may seem to be, our acknowledgment of them can open our heart to the sweet peace of forgiveness.

I once was faced with an injustice I found hard to forgive. During an illness I was dismissed from work by the friend who had employed me. It was obvious, though not directly stated, that my reliance on prayer instead of medical treatment lay behind this decision. I regretted losing the position, which had been an unusual opportunity in a tight job market. But I also felt betrayed by one I had thought was a friend.

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