Very, very few deeds or actions are done just for the sake of doing evil and once we understand the reason why they do it, once we realize that they don’t realize they are wrong it becomes easier to forgive
ROBERT CLEMENTS
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]very Good Friday I go to church around twelve in the afternoon and listen to different speakers talk about Christ’s death on the cross. In my mind I picture the man being killed, nails being hammered into his body, spears plunged and my heart wonders how anyone could have gone through such terrible agony. I hear the gasps, and the words he cries out at different times; words which over the years have been immortalized.
And then I hear His cry, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!” For me year after year these are words I stop and ponder on and reflect through the afternoon.
Who is it He talks about when he says they know what they do?
It’s the very people who are killing him!
He doesn’t cry out to God, saying, “God have revenge on these people who are wounding me, killing me!” No, he tells God not to do anything, “God,” he is actually saying, “hands off!”
In those dying words I find a profound truth, I realize the only way one can forgive somebody is by understanding why somebody has wronged us.
Why has your neighbor infringed on your property, because in his heart of hearts he believes it is his, he doesn’t know what he is doing.
Why has your woman left you for another, why? Because in her mind, that someone else would give her greater happiness than what you gave.
Very, very few deeds or actions are done just for the sake of doing evil and once we understand the reason why they do it, once we realize that they don’t realize they are wrong it becomes easier to forgive. But to be able to do this we need to look beyond our immediate hurt and pain.
I have been spending some time lately with a doctor friend, in whose hospital a woman slipped into coma. The doctors tried their best and even managed to keep her alive and today she is off the ventilator. But from the public around he has been treated rather harshly, from the local representative to the priest to the police inspector, they have all hounded him.
In my friend there is a deep anger, which I find is slowly burning him up, “its unfair!” he shouts again and again.
“Sure it’s unfair, but the people aren’t angry with you because you are a bad doctor, they are angry because a loved one lies comatose. They are angry, and the only people they can vent out their anger is on you doctors. You would have done the same,” I tell my friend, “forgive them for what they are doing and use your energy to fight your case.”
We lose precious energy when we don’t forgive; we kill ourselves as hate burns us up day after day.
This Good Friday let’s remember those words that a dying man uttered, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do!”
It could change your life.
