It's Often Hard to Produce, but the World Needs More Forgiveness

Gandhi was right: if we all live by 'an eye for an eye' the whole world will be blind. The only way out is forgiveness. (more quotes below)

In the war torn hot spots of the world, you know the ones, they're on the news every other day, there's so much hate, and so scarce a sign of forgiveness. It can be one of the toughest things to do on every level. But it can bring peace to all parties. It is a tenet of religions, but also a psychological act that involves inner strength, empathy, patience, analysis, time and situational perspectives about others, and good intentions.

Forgiveness is not a word you hear often. Over 30 years of paying attention to current events, and world conflicts, the word was not used too much - maybe by Desmond Tutu, and Popes, but not many group or national leaders embroiled in fighting use it. It can be seen as a weakness one can imagine, or a sign of surrender even. And yes, if a family member were slain by an opposing group, it would be hard to forgive. It is rare.

Remember the Los Angeles riots after the Rodney King beating police trial? A truck driver named Reginald Denny, was dragged out of his cab, savagely beaten, kicked and had rocks thrown at his head. Unbelievably, he survived. You might think he sought to avenge his attack, but instead he forgave his attackers. Amidst the racial hatred which could keep reigniting, this man showed that he was willing to end the circle of revenge, hate, and misunderstanding. Even Obama - though it would have been political suicide to even hint at payback of some sort for inhumane treatment by whites - his lack of reference to anything suggesting racial reparations, was a tacit suggestion of forgiveness. One more famous example - John Paul II met his would be assassin face to face after the 1981 attack on the pope, and told him that he forgave him.

While you're above the sod, as a friend calls it, life is short - as opposed to being underneath it, is a pretty long time, and too late to make peace then.

A few more quotes on forgiveness:

“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.” - Dale Carnegie

“Forgiveness is not the misguided act of condoning irresponsible, hurtful behavior. Nor is it a superficial turning of the other cheek that leaves us feeling victimized and martyred. Rather it is the finishing of old business that allows us to experience the present, free of contamination from the past.” - Joan Borysenko

“Friendship flourishes at the fountain of forgiveness.” - William Arthur Ward

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” -
Lewis B. Smedes

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." - Jesus

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." - Gandhi

"To err is human; to forgive, infrequent." - Franklin P. Adams

"Not to forgive is to be imprisoned by the past, by old grievances that do not permit life to proceed with new business. Not to forgive is to yield oneself to another's control... to be locked into a sequence of act and response, of outrage and revenge, tit for tat, escalating always. The present is endlessly overwhelmed and devoured by the past. Forgiveness frees the forgiver. It extracts the forgiver from someone else's nightmare." - Lance Morrow

Easterly reminders of peace

Boy don't this world ever need more men and women of peace, and more nations with peaceful people, policies and attitudes. American humorist Will Rogers once said minds are changed through observation and not through argument. In the brief life of Jesus the ultimate teacher, we are left with teachings from a man that gave all of himself, for us to observe. Jesus' teachings were about how to live, human treatment, of particularly the needy and oppressed. His teachings are universal. One does not have to be a religious person per se at all, just be open-minded, to appreciate the man and his messages.

There is a great deal of common sense in his messages, much of it is good psychology. For example, treating others as you wish to be treated. A bit of empathy involved here, and makes logical sense. Another always timely and practical thought to ponder is the idea that all races, languages, and creeds are equal. He also stressed the idea of forgiveness, and another biggie is the concept of being nonjudgmental. It's an idea, and we can only strive to be so.

On a practical level, the last one probably meant, for example - if you did point out some failing of someone, or some error or maliciousness, then it is up to the rest of us to understand why, lift the person up, not knock him or her down further.

Jesus' messages were simple, and ideally would probably lead to a much more perfect world. Interpretations of his teachings have unfortunately caused divisions in peoples in our and the rest of the world. Perhaps because humanity could not fully live up to his ideals, arguments were made about what Jesus might have meant or done, and divisions have occurred. Perhaps because humanity to a large degree, emphasize self interest first, and different measures of success, that other rationalizations of what is acceptable are put forward. After all, Jesus did not get into every detail of life, especially 2000 years later, but was probably thinking he did not have to, as his original teachings were meant to cover all situations with love, giving, forgiveness, and respect for human dignity, so no one was left out.

He would not care if about how you label yourself, but rather how you treat each other, and how you choose to live by your daily actions. Other religions, have peaceful and similar teachings as well. Certainly many individuals have promoted peace and understanding. The end goal is to live in peace, and many do. Unfortunately humanity as a whole have used their freedom to choose, and chose to live with ages old success indicators like greed, wealth, power, materialism, and a concept of inequality. That's our present world. In a person's view of their own self actualization, being the best they can be, how well,and how much they care for others, can be computed into the perception of their character and success.

In a world where there never was a time of no war, a world of continuing greed, with a powerful few, and aggressive nations, attitudes and policies, all sides of all issues could use more people of peace, more attitudes of empathy, forgiveness, equal treatment, and respect. It sounds like an outdated thing to say, but what other solutions are there? It is good that the messages of peaceful people in the history of the world get echoed regularly, so that humanity can think of what could be, and strive to evolve to reach a more perfect and harmonious world.

On a day to celebrate a special, yet mysterious man of hope and peace, here's a beautiful song sung by Yvonne Elliman who played Mary Magdelene in Jesus Christ Superstar.