No matter the cause of the offence, forgiveness is imperative. We are taught to pray; “…. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”. For if we forgive not men their trespasses, so also will our heavenly Father not forgive us our sins. Blessing is promised to the peacemaker, not to the conqueror. Make yourself an instrument of peace where there is hatred and quarrel. Seek to be the initiator of peace movement. Despite all that happened, don’t let anger and hatred harden your heart. Forgiveness is the glue that amends all broken relationships. It is like a fine perfume, you cannot pour it on others without its fragrance blessing you. Forgiveness brings healing; the forgiver is healed before the forgiven. Forgive others, not because they deserve it, but because you deserve peace. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you. No one can hold his neighbor down without being down himself. Forgiveness does not change the past but it gives the future a chance. It does not change the past but it enlarges the future. Forgive your brother and set yourself free, because there has never been a war where all the wrongs were on one side. When disharmony arises between two people or groups there is some measure of fault on both sides. The noblest form of revenge is to forgive. Forgiveness is a funny thing; it warms the heart and cools the sting. Be it something you did or something that was done to you, the only way out of the prison of resentment is forgiveness.
We pardon in the degree we love. Someone would say; “I will never forgive him”. Be careful with your decisions today because they will affect your tomorrow. You may be the next to be in need of forgiveness, because there is no one that does right and never do wrong. Who does not have faeces in the inside of him? And who does not have the potentiality of messing up the air?. If you forgive, you will be forgiven. In this life, every act done and every word spoken, is a seed sown that will bear fruit. Although forgiveness is unlimited, there will be no forgiveness for those who do not forgive others. I will not permit anyone to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him. The divine love in the heart is the spring of love towards your neigbour. The way to dispel darkness is to admit light. Darkness is nothing but the absence of light. So, hatred is absence of love. Fruits of hatred cannot be seen where there is love. The best way to conquer an enemy is to convert him into a friend. There is a path called “the way of peace” walk in it. Seek peace and pursue it. Love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you. Seeing what people do, sometimes I am tempted to think that some offences will not be forgiven the sons of men until Satan is forgiven. But it is not so. Happiness comes to those who have the courage to love, and who do not wait to be loved in other to love.
When people throw you stones, it is because you are a good tree with good fruit. They see a lot of harvest in you. Do not go down to their level by throwing them back the stones, rather throw them your fruits so that the seeds of yourself may inspire them to change their evil ways. Let light overcome darkness. Don’t treat people as bad as they are, treat them as good as you are. Repay no one evil for evil. Our Law-Giver forbids us to injure anyone either by word or work for any reason. If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. It is in crisis that character is revealed. Let your light shine before men. And the best place for you to show your beautiful and productive light is in the dark place… among those who need light.
The divine love in the heart is the spring of love towards your neigbhour. The way to dispel darkness is to admit light. There is no one who does not have someone that hates him but you can be someone that hates nobody. If you love, you will truly forgive. The harder it is for you to forgive, the further you are from true love. If you push “right” to the extreme it becomes wrong. You may become wrong in the midst of being right if you fail to forgive. A grudge is one thing that does not get better if nursed. And do remember that a man should not be killed in time of peace for what he did in time of war. Mercy prevails over judgment. To forgive and forget means to remember the offence without any feeling of bitterness in the heart; not getting even with the offender. And to love as if you have never been hurt. Many waters (trouble, offences) cannot quench love. He who rejoices at his neigbour’s calamity will never go unpunished. He who tells of his brother’s calamity with secret satisfaction is guilty. And judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy, for the seed a man sows he shall surely reap. A fool who eats until he is sick, must fast until he is well.
Our Father said, “if two of you shall agree concerning anything on earth, it shall be done for you in heaven”. There is power in unity. Our need of unity is obvious. A united minority is stronger than a divided majority. Satan knowing this, even when there were only two brothers on earth, he put disagreement among them. Forgiveness helps to keep us together. We must learn to live together as brothers and friends or we perish together as enemies and fools. He cannot rest in peace, who did not live in peace. He cannot rest in peace, who did not live in peace. Pray that you may receive grace to forgive those who offend you; for offences must come. Forgive lest Satan should take advantage of you, for we are not ignorant of his devices. Give no place to the devil. Let us be of one mind and live in peace. Our warfare is not carnal. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of darkness in high places. Who is wise and understanding among us? Let him show it by his good conducts. For the sake of peace, and to honour his Master, a saint puts a cross between him and others, and dies to his own rights on it. Show your faith by your works. Light does not blow trumpet, it simply shines.
LET BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUE.
-BKC YAHKA
Set The Prisoner Free
