Shantideva, an 8th century Buddhist scholar, said "It is natural for the immature to harm others. Getting angry with them is like resenting a fire for burning."
Yet sometimes, we do! So: How to forgive?
Prayer clears the way for forgiveness, and forgiveness clears the way for prayer. When one is missing, it impedes the other. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:22 to forgive "seventy times seven times," numbers that indicated perfection and would translate in our day as "one-hundred times one-hundred percent." In other words, always.
If we only live from the earlobes up, this can be a challenge. Where is the logic in forgiveness? But forgiveness is an expression of belief, the domain of the heart.
Kathleen Norris, in her book "Amazing Grace," writes, "I find it sad to consider that belief has become a scary word, because, at its Greek root, 'to believe' simply means 'to give one's heart to.' Thus if we can determine what it is we give our heart to, then we will know what it is we believe."
In Luke 12:34, Jesus reminds us, "For where your treasure lies, there your heart will be also."
The choice is ours. Do we really treasure kindness, love, compassion, and forgiveness? We can pray and forgive, or blame the fire for burning.
Blessings,
David
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