Friday, March 02, 2012

revisiting the dead horses of forgiveness

it is not that this one or that has more will power or even faith. it is not that this one or that follows more than another. it is not a function of forgetting or pretend. it is not even in proportion to the perceived atrocities. as a watcher, i've witnessed it as almost purely a function of the amalgamation of the way in which one's disposition and personality combine with how life experiences have shaped the soul. thus the capacity to forgive or not, living within the realms of reconciliation or not, is simply a part of one's internal fabric. not as a rule but the capacity for forgiveness also tends to be woven through some family's lines, not each thread, but it is there woven in. again not because they are better than but it seems simply to be built into their fabric and histories.

forgiveness and reconciliation in reality seem to have no actual relationship to one's faith. perhaps it should, perhaps we are called to it, but it simply does not play out that way.

you may disagree with me, but then again you may equate forgiveness as a form of tolerance, a lack of vengeance, lack of hostile emotions, some type of passivity or silence, or hoop construction or even a distant well wishing. though these might be important, they simply bare no resemblance to what I think of as forgiveness, what we are called to or what Christians claim as God's forgiveness.

should we try, even if counter to our nature and family histories? absolutely, by all means do try. just don't hold your tolerance, diminished hostility, receding need to blame or be better than, or withheld vengeance, passivity or distant well wishing, out as though it were forgiveness. good things, yes; forgiveness, not really.

once again i find myself revisiting dead horses. i do try not to beat them, instead i only contemplate their remnant carcasses.

i have yet to witness one actual human example counter to my direct observations.

I'd love to be wrong.

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