Forgiveness and healing

Ruth P. Denison

Some years ago, I was on a trip that explored the sea journeys of the Apostle Paul. One afternoon a fellow passenger, named John Templeton, and I were the only ones sitting in the stern of the four-masted barque. Although his name was known worldwide in financial circles, I was just getting to know him. As we talked, he told me about the "Prize for Progress in Religion" that he gives each year through his Templeton Foundation.

In essence, he said that searching for laws of life is searching for spiritual rules. "'Love given, multiplies' is such a law, and happiness is always a byproduct," he said. Then he asked me this question: "What law of life do you know now that would have been a help to you had you known it twenty years ago?"

My answer: "Always forgive."

To me this means "not to fasten onto"—to make a separation between the person and the acts or words that need forgiveness. This kind of spiritually based mental activity brings peace to my thought and to my life. My conversation with Mr. Templeton reminded me of a specific instance where forgiveness on my part was required.

A form of eczema on my hands and wrists was replaced by completely fresh skin with no evidence of any disease when I overcame critical feelings toward my husband's sister. For several months I had chafed mentally under her attitude toward the way I was caring for one of our children. One day as I prayed to perceive what I needed to understand in order to be healed of the skin irritation—the skin had broken and sometimes bled—a verse from the Bible came to me: "First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye" (Matt. 7:5).

Immediately I thought of how I had been mentally criticizing her. At the same time, I realized how generous she was and how much she loved us all, even though her convictions about dealing with health problems were different from mine. My forgiveness was complete. From then on I ceased reacting to such differences between us, and she ceased to interfere. Three days later the skin on my hands and wrists was fresh and whole. Our friendship grew and remained precious to both of us for many years.

While I was thinking about this later, a line from the Lord's Prayer came to me along with its spiritual interpretation in Science and Health:

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And Love is reflected in love;" (p. 17).

This told me that because God, Love, always forgives us (never imputing to or fastening onto our real, spiritual selves any imperfection), we, as Love's reflection, can—and should—always love, always forgive.

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Don't wait to be healed

September 22, 1997

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