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| The Freedom of Forgiveness, Our Lenten Journey During Lent 2017 we would like to probe the act of forgiveness. This week’s question is: Does Forgiveness Guarantee Reconciliation? If the hurtful event involved someone whose relationship you otherwise value, forgiveness can lead to reconciliation. This isn’t always the case, however. Reconciliation might be impossible if the offender has died or is unwilling to communicate with you. In other cases, reconciliation might not be appropriate. Still, forgiveness is possible – even if reconciliation isn’t. What if I have to interact with the person who hurt me but I don’t want to? If you haven’t reached a state of forgiveness, being near the person who hurt you might prompt you to be tense and stressful. To handle these situations:
What if the person I’m forgiving doesn’t change? Getting another person to change his or her actions, behavior or words isn’t the point of forgiveness. Think of forgiveness more about how it can change your life – by bringing you peace, happiness, and emotional and spiritual healing. Forgiveness can take away the power the other person continues to wield in your life. What if I’m the one who needs forgiveness? The first step is to honestly assess and acknowledge the wrongs you’ve done and how those wrongs have affected others. At the same time, avoid judging yourself too harshly. You’re human, and you’ll make mistakes. What does the Bible Say? Look up Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 12:17 21). “If someone has done you wrong, do no repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody…Forgive! Remember Jesus’ words as they nailed him to the cross: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. Tips on Prayer: It is through prayer, reflection, the Scriptures, the grace of the sacraments, the wisdom of the Church, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we discover and walk the path that God is calling us to walk. In our own way, we all seek out our individual destiny. Drawn by our yearning for happiness, we may seek to experience pleasure, possessions, and even power, but the world and all it has to offer can never content the human heart. God alone can satisfy the deepest cravings of our hearts! Lamentations 3:22-24: The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope. Written by Donna Weinberg of the Panther Valley Ecumenical Church All Bible Quotes are from Good News Bible (TEV) |
