To Forgive is Divine.

Forgiveness has been on my mind a lot in the past month or so. I think that when we are forgiven for things we've done or forgiven by people we've hurt there is a feeling of deep gratitude that enlarges our own capacity to love and forgive in return. I recently watched a documentary titled As We Forgive. It's about victims and perpetrators of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. It told the story of people who are participating in a forgiveness project where people who lost their loved ones are able to meet the person responsible for their deaths. The willingness of people who had their families slaughtered to meet and extend forgiveness to those who had committed such heinous acts of violence was really a powerful thing. As I watched the story I was also reminded of the sweetness of the Amish community in Nickel Mines, PA several years ago. Those good people were able to immediately dismiss any feelings of anger or vengeance. Instead they reached out to the family of the man who had murdered their innocent children and in so doing taught a great lesson about what it means to really love those who hurt you.

In my life I haven't ever been hurt as badly as the people mentioned above and I haven't done anything as serious as those instances. But,I have been hurt and I have offended and hurt others. It's a really blessed thing to feel that past hurt is gone and in it's place are sweet feelings of kindness and love. Thank goodness for the capacity to give and receive forgiveness.