Tuesday, February 6, 2018

GREED THROUGH FORGIVENESS

Jerry Levin was held hostage for six years in Beirut, Lebanon. In a diary describing his experiences, he recalled the following significant day. “For the first time I was able to pray for my captors. And more than that, I forgave them. I had to forgive them, because my captivity had forced me to take a spiritual journey. And in forgiving, I could proceed free of the baggage of hate and resentment and fear and revenge.”

Hatred or resentment is a strange thing. It may not harm directly the person who is hated. But it always damages the hater, spreading a lethal poison throughout the mind and body and robbing that person of peace. Resentment or hatred raises blood pressure and damages health.

We must forgive – not primarily for the sake of our enemies, but for our own sakes. It might save our lives.