Forgiveness

I haven't had the mind or the thought to post in so long... but I was thinking about Michael Gallaugher recently, since he introduced me to so many new ideas, and I thought I really shouldn't let what I learned from him go to waste, and so I will post. (The topic is not related to Michael Ghallaugher. He has done nothing that I need to forgive).

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Of all virtues, people follow none so curiously poorly as forgiveness. We like to think ourselves strong enough to hold our head above the wrongs done to us and not to seek revenge, but again and again we are too weak. They hit me, they told me things I didn't want to hear, can't I hit them back?

I know I am too weak still to carry out revenge, but forgiveness is so much more. It is not enough to stay your hand before striking back. I know when someone is mean to me I will be at least a little unpleasant to them. And when things are very bad...

Forgiveness really means something so... unreachable? It means not judging a person by their actions. I have to look at you, and see what bad things you have done, and say honestly that it does not diminish my view of you. I must know that you have made others suffer without once thinking that you ought to suffer.

But look, it is harder still. The most forgiving of people will always find something, some perfect crime that they cannot come to terms with. You cannot win an argument for forgiveness because there is always a crime that speaks louder. Forgiveness begs that a murderer is worth as much of a person as you or I.

I want to forgive everyone everything. I want to never forget that no one deserves to suffer. I know I cannot do this because I have already failed many times. But I want to try it anyway.