Forgiveness

It's not, as the church teaches,

that he came 2000 years ago

so that our sins might be forgiven.

It's so that he could share the gift

of the ability to forgive.

Forgiveness is for me an

important part of the healing process.

What do I forgive?

The schoolboy who distractedly,

accidentally, knocked an old lady over;

the man who cuts across my path while driving;

the old lady across the road who carries a grudge;

everyone who has ever seen fit to bully me;

my poorly educated educators;

anyone who tries to steer me away from my chosen path;

power-seeking vaccine and chemo lords who wrongly believe

that power per se will confer happiness upon them.

You see, we can live a life in which we are the victim,

or we can turn that idea on it on its head and live one

in which we take full responsibility for all our actions.

And that includes the actions, secret or made openly,

in which I can cause harm to others.

For me this is where the highest form

of forgiveness is needed ... self-forgiveness.

I still have those moments when I give an

involuntary groan, recalling some wrong committed.

It's yet more grist for the mill of love.

A 'letting' process is such a relief.

There is no longer any blame culture.

Energy is consumed in holding grudges,

energy is used up feeling anger at imagined wrongs.

Energy is put to far better use in the form of healing.

Hatred is destructive to one's own body.

In moments of stillness the negative

effect of anger can be felt.

It shakes the body apart.

Thinking that you are someone's doormat

may help to clean the soles of their shoes,

but remember, life is full of choices.

When you find that place of freedom

in yourself which forgiveness leads you to,

you can choose to be the mat, or choose not to,

or simply not see it as a moment of choice,

because you have your own life way.  

Guiding concepts?

"I must have needed that!"

"Thank you."

(to the universe, or however you think of your god)