Paul and Jon were best friends. They had played together since before they started school. Now Jon was in second grade and Paul in first, so they didn't see each other much until after school. Then they played outside together with a lot of their friends on the block. Sometimes they played capture the flag or tag, but most of the time it was rough-and-tumble stuff, laughing, yelling, and running around—just having fun.

But one day things got a little too rough. Jon got really angry. He grabbed Paul by the hair. That hurt a lot, and Paul ran inside crying. He was angry and confused. Paul almost felt like hating Jon.

Dad was in the house and heard all the commotion. He was used to the wrestling and noise that went on with Paul and his friends. But this was different. Jon and Paul had gone beyond play and hard knocks that no one meant. Somehow they were now on a level of anger and hurt. This had to have attention, and in Paul's family that meant prayer.

Because they were students of Christian Science, Mom and Dad figured that everything they did really turned out better if they were listening to God's direction right along. They tried as much as possible to be aware of God's love and His presence, no matter where they were or what they were doing. After all, Christ Jesus was always close to God. He always depended on Him for help. He even said, "I and my Father are one." ^{John 10:30.}

So Dad wanted to help Paul in a way that would heal the anger and hurt, not just patch things up or pretend that it's OK for hatred to get in the way of a good friendship.

He took Paul in his lap and held him close for a few minutes until he was quieter. Then Dad began to talk gently about God's love and about how nothing and no one can ever separate us from divine Love. Love is one of the names for God that Christian Scientists like to think about. The names add to the ways we can begin to understand what God really is. ^{In the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy uses many terms for God, among them Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit, Life, Truth, Love. (See p. 587:6–7 ).}

Paul had learned in Sunday School that God is everywhere. So to think of God as always being Love, and of Love as everywhere, made the hurt and anger seem not quite so real. If God, Love, is the one real power and presence, there couldn't be other thoughts trying to take over Paul's day.

As Dad and Paul reasoned spiritually, Paul began to feel a lot better, and so did his head. He felt a little better about Jon; Paul wanted to be friends with him, but not with a bully who was mean. "And Jon can't be separated from God's love either," Paul thought. "God doesn't make His child mean or hateful."

Dad talked about how Jesus said we should love one another no matter what. And about the Lord's Prayer, which says, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." ^{Matt. 6:12.} Paul listened.

In a little while Dad asked, "Are you ready to forgive Jon?"

Paul said "Yes" and jumped off Dad's lap and ran out to play again, tears and fears and anger wiped out.

That was a good experience for the whole family. Paul's feelings changed quickly when he was able to see that divine Love, God, was there, and he was able to forgive Jon. He understood that neither he nor Jon could really ever be separated from God. So there wasn't an excuse or a reason for hurt or anger.

Forgiving people isn't easy. But Jesus did it. And his life and teachings are the best example. Because he loved and forgave, Jesus was able to do many wonderful things. He was always close to God and always healing. For instance, Jesus loved and forgave his friend and disciple Peter. Peter had told Jesus that he would stand by him, even if Jesus' other friends let him down. But after soldiers came to get Jesus and the disciples, Peter was so scared for his own life that he even said three times that he didn't know Jesus.

But Jesus didn't blame Peter. He didn't hate him. He had compassion for his friend and forgave him. He understood that Peter was simply afraid; but even more than that, Jesus knew that God is Love and that Love can never let us down.

Real forgiving means feeling so filled with love that there's just no room for anger or hurt or hate. Of course it takes practice to love in the way Jesus did. But just like practicing the piano or hitting a baseball, we can get better at it. No one wants to live with bad feelings and hate. And we don't have to. As we practice loving each other the way Jesus taught—including forgiving when it's needed—we'll see and feel what Mrs. Eddy means in saying, "Love is reflected in love." ^{Science and Health, p. 17. This is Mrs. Eddy's spiritual interpretation of "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."}