10/8/06

Forgiveness

What I found interesting in the aftermath of the Pennsylvania School Massacre was the the issue of forgiveness.

Yesterday, the families of those little girls mourned the death of a child killer. I am sure it was the hardest thing that they have ever done, but I believe they were blessed for doing so.

Watching some of the news coverage, I saw reporters repeatedly ask, "How can you forgive that man?" of course those noble people said, "With God's help." The reporters clearly were out of their element and had no idea how to cope with it. And it wasn't that the Amish brought God into it but because the act of forgiveness is so foreign to most people.

It isn't in human nature to forgive. It's something we need to aspire to be able to do. Somehow people believe if they don't forgive, but continue to hate somehow they punishing the wrongdoer and honoring the memory of the hurt. When in fact, the opposite is true. When you refuse to forgive the only person you hurt is yourself and refusing to let your hurt heal. Hate destroys and consumes your soul, doing further damage tot he hurt that was imposed upon you. Essentially you are aiding the wrong doer. I know alot about forgiveness, as I have had more to forgive than some. It took me many years to forgive the man that kidnapped and sexually assaulted me and to forgive my father for letting it happen. I admire those Amish people who seem to forgive with ease. It took a lot of pain and emotional turbulence to forgive those two men.

And they are right: with God's help the burden of forgiveness can be made easier and lighter. That was the only way I was able to forgive those men, after the turbulence I finally asked Jesus to help me let go of the pain and hatred. It might sound hokey, but that's one of the gifts Jesus gave us that we frequently overlook...being able to lay our life's burdens upon His shoulders.

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