Forgiveness… a Christian tool to fight evil

n a world dominated by violence, crime, as well as lust for power and money, so many people realize that the world has become so cruel by turning a deaf ear to people’s concerns, with trespasses being committed at a large scale and on daily bases.

With rampant trespasses committed daily, it is important to invoke forgiveness because it gives peace of mind, as research has shown that forgiveness is linked to mental health outcomes such as reduced anxiety, depression and major psychiatric disorders, as well as to fewer physical health symptoms and lower mortality rates.

In the Lord ’s Prayer, namely Our Father, the faithful  say, “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us”. So, when we ask the Lord to forgive us for our trespasses, we do so by promising to forgive others. In other words, the prayer provides an implicit promise that we will forgive other people.

Forgiveness serves as one of the major tenets of the noble teaching of  Lord Jesus Christ Who crossed all the borders relevant to mundane thinking by stating, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

Forgiveness breaks the cycle of violence and revenge as well as it instils an atmosphere of peace and satisfaction. Consequently, the one who commits trespasses would later be cloaked with shame while feeling that such acts are reciprocated by a message of love and forgiveness. As forgiveness provides peace of mind, it also serves as a fundamental condition of the reconciliation of the children of God with their Divine Father and with one another.

The state of forgiveness is reminiscent of a statement made by French Jesuit and theologian, François Varillon, who once said, “People cannot live together unless they forgive each other just for being who they are.”

Yet, the question that arises is that should forgiveness incorporate forgetting? Actually, without incorporating both of them, then forgiveness becomes invalid, because failure to forget keeps the flame of the desire to take revenge rekindled from time to time.

To solve this problem the Holy Bible states, “Forgive and Forget” (1Corinthians 13:5)

In the Beatitudes, Lord Jesus Christ sums up the whole issue by saying, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

The most outstanding example of the Divine Power’s teaching to instill forgiveness among people is that when Lord Jesus was crucified, he said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

People praying the Divine Prayer, namely Our Father, while maintaining pure hearts, are shown the right path in life when dealing with the various trespasses that could be committed against them through forgiveness and forgetting.