Are you quick to forgive? Are you the first to forgive?
After witnessing a heated vocal exchange between two neighboring campers in a State Park last October that wouldn’t let up, I thought, “What the world needs now is more forgiveness!”
I explain why I came to this conclusion in this video which was filmed at the Deadhorse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, Arizona.
Beautiful story Evan and I’m sure one we can all relate to. I can picture Jesus saying “Father forgive them they know not what they do “.
This has helped me so often when I felt wronged.. I would first feel the mortal tendency to “right the wrong” but then found peace in forgiveness and letting God right the wrong.
I can’t imagine EVAN making a mistake, but very nice.
really loved this Evan thank you!
Hymn 163
Jesus, what precept is like thine;
Forgive, as ye would be forgiven;
If heeded, O what power divine
Would then transform our earth to heaven.
So from our hearts must evenflow
A love that will all wrong outweigh;
our lips must only blessings know,
And wrath and sin shall die away.
For it is Mind’s most holy plan
To bring the wanderer back by love;
Then let us win our brother man,
And glorify our God above.
What a beautiful, healing prayer you shared , Maggie. Thank you!
On July 20th, 1967, I was working in Detroit on top of the 19 story building, The volunteers of America, on the corner of Russel and Piquette in the City of Detroit, Michigan, USA.
I had no knowledge there was a curfew and that there were rioting crowds damaging the city and hatred emerging as result of racial abuse. A helicopter swung down over our work project and guns directed as our work crew. We were directed to put down our materials and distance ourselves from the roof. It was war in the streets.
I had been with my Mother previously while she was in the hospital in another city. She quoted a verse from Dion Warwick’s song, “What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”
After we came down from the roof and decided to leave the city. A black man approached and asked for money for a meal. The man’s face was a work of reconstruction from being injured in the war in Vietnam. I didn’t give him anything. I carry that burden with me as a heavy and regrettable memory. Needless to say that is the very last time I ever turned down a beggar.
That very hour my dear Mother passed away. I learned an unforgettable lesson in Brotherly love.
Those times seem to be repeating themselves. Events that should have been washed away long ago.
97:11 Science and Health, We read;
“The more destructive that matter becomes, the more it’s nothingness will appear, until matter reaches it’s mortal zenith in illusion and forever disappears.”
I’m so blessed to have your love and this forum to share life’s experiences with those of the same mind and the at direction of our great teacher.
Thank you Evan and everyone.
Dear David, you obviously have grown magnitudes since, and perhaps because of, this situation. Lessons learned. I know you have forgiven yourself, demonstrated through your subsequent life of good works. We have all had a time we may regret our thought or action, but it might be the catalyst for making a profound change.
Love
Thank you Annie,
You know I need forgiveness. Since then I have made strides to help veterans and others through charitable endeavors. I truly hope that I’m a better man.
Thank you for your kind reply.
David
Thank you for this blog on forgiveness. It is helpful to my thought-for current events in my life.
I have found the topic of forgiveness one I am working on in my own relationships and I am fascinated to learn more about in how to best teach students. As a wellness teacher at an elementary school I am always searching how to present “good” character building ideas- for our students- and come to find out there is a full curriculum on how to teach ideas/methods of forgiveness to children- I think is so wonderful. At my school where I work- I cannot teach the concept of God- but I can certainly share good and work to be an example of good. It is my personal mission as a teacher actually.
I appreciate the simple idea Evan- of “blessing them with spiritual truths” as you’ve mentioned. I will continue to grow/work to demonstrate to see more qualities and attributes of God/good as a quick way to love and forgive. Thank you for your post.
MBE “It is more important to know there is no
personality than it is to know there is no disease.”
No “person” no personal sense
Absolutly beautiful and needed video. Thank you Evan so much !!!!!
Thank you, Evan – an important lesson!
I am re-reading “The Gentle Art of Blessing” by Pierre Pradervand, who acknowledges a significant healing in Christian Science. He tells how he had been nursing fury at the way his employers had treated him until one day he was reading the Sermon on the Mount and was struck with Jesus’ saying “Bless them that curse you” (Matt 5: 44). It became clear that was what he had to do and right away he began blessing these people from the bottom of his heart, with overflowing good wishes. He never heard anything more from the people involved, but he was free to be happy and has gone on blessing everyone and everything with whom he comes in contact ever since.
The MBE quote above on there being no personality is found in “Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Healer, Amplified Edition”, on page 229, in a letter from MBE to Ann Otis written in 1893, and reads as follows; “If you dwell in thought on any person, it will hinder you from overcoming personality in your healing and casting out sin. There is no personality, and this is more important to know than that there is no disease.”
Also, in that same letter, she wrote “…remember that you can never rid yourself of the seeming effects of personality while holding in mind this personality. The way is to put it wholly out of mind and keep before your thought the right model.”
Extremely helpful for me today!
Wonderful reminder, Evan.
Thank you!
Thanks everyone for your comments and Evan for the video blog! Just what I needed today. It seems it is so easy to flail at “personality” in another and forgive and love that individual and see them as God sees them. Something I often struggle with, so grateful for your thoughts on this Evan.
Wonderful Evan…I can relate to how easy it is to become entangled..albeit temporarily…in a very public argument! At first, I confess to not really expecting the lesson from this that you shared with us. But we are brought back to understanding that we must begin with our own thought…that of the loving Divine Mind we express, permanently.
Eph 4; ‘ Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you. ‘ grateful❣️
An aha moment that I had a couple months ago about forgiveness is that when we forgive someone for something, we are not freeing them from what they need to learn and correct and forgive themselves for. We are freeing ourselves from any lingering impact of that situation. This is especially poignant when we need to forgive someone who has passed on. It would be easy to think that there’s no point in forgiving someone who is departed, but when we forgive that person we are no longer harboring negative thoughts about that person and we are no longer cleaving to that experience and our perception of the wrongness of it. I also believe that we are also freeing that person from any impact our negative thoughts might have on their experience.
I experienced this forgiveness with my father. We hadn’t been able to find peace or reconciliation before he passed, yet almost from the moment I heard of his passing, I recognized the wonderful good his life has been, the extraordinary and unique instructions, the expansive world view he shared with me, as well as many many remarkable qualities he had. I truly forgave snd loved him ever since, feeling a freedom from a lifetime burden, and a sense that I had released him from condemnation from me and others. I feel that we finally, at long last, shared a rich history and great goodness.
Thanks Carolyn!..
But guess what! Personal sense would have
like to have heard, “And the whole camp ground
had a picnic to celebrate love for each other.”
Evan getting it was a healing for him and us.
So thought doesn’t need to dip into what
happened humanly. God/good happened.
One of my favorite quotes –
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. – Lewis B. Smedes
Thank you Evan and all commenters! ❤️
Thank you very much, Evan for today’s toppic on “forgivness”. It is so loving. And I really do need that. Today I had a talk with a friend, and on one point I was not at all kind to her and insisted on my view of the matter we discussed. When we hang up the phone, I noticed that she was right. I asked God to forgive me for not being humble enough to listen properly And the thought came, that I have to forgive myself. Am grateful for God’s healing answer.
Thank you all for inspiring and lively comments! And I am very grateful for your uplifting and healing SpiritView blog, dear Evan!
Forgiving ourselves is just as important and necessary as forgiving others. Seeking redemption from the myriad of sins of mortal mind is a life work! But the nature of divine Love is to purge and heal and bless. Love heals the sore places of regret in our hearts, purifies and elevates our characters, and gives spiritual purpose to our lives. Thank you Evan for this valuable lesson today.
Thank you Evan for your inspiration. I appreciate hearing that we can bless (know the truth) and perhaps the truth will reach THEIR THOUGHT and help them find peace. That’s what I can do too. I too love Pierre Pradervand’s book, The Gentle Art of Blessing. “To bless means to wish (pray) unconditionally and from the deepest chamber of your heart, unrestricted good for others and events……” p.11
Instantaneous forgiveness
Matthew 18:21, 22
By NORMAN ASWALD WALTER
From the June 1984 issue of The Christian Science Journal
Forgive! The challenge Jesus gave
to Peter also comes to me.
What right have I to violate
that sacred Christ decree?
To fail forgiveness is to judge.
My aim instead should be to bless.
Each day I must resolve to see
my brother with more tenderness.
So I’ll forgive at once, and plan
to leave with God my fellowman.
NORMAN ASWALD WALTER
What a wonderful response and lesson. Thank you Evan, how beautiful!
Peter
Evan, Thank you for this wonderful illustration of the need to forgive.
It has brought mucho light and is a lovely example.