Forgivness

I think in the quest to love oneself, you have to first forgive yourself.

I think in the quest to reconciling friendships and work relationships you have to forgive that person, and forgive yourself.

I think in the worlds quest for peace, we have to forgive of our 'enemies', forgive our own human nature, and forgive ourselves.


For my 'Art of Life Writing Class', I have read Long Way Gone by Ishmeal Beah, and I am currently and very slowly reading The Confessions by St. Augustine. Both are heavily centered around the concept of explanation of life and forgivness. Apologia Pro Vita Sua, or a defense of the way I have lived my life... So it's been making me think of myself and my own quest for inner forgiveness.

For Solstice I was asked to make a wish for the world- mine was that we all searched for forgiveness. Without forgiveness, all your misdeeds in life are left to fester. You feel guilty, unworthy, shameful, angry, and all the plethora of negative feelings that you can direct at yourself, and therefore direct out at the world.

As a Christian (not a crazy one), the concept of forgiveness has played itself out at every sermon and every holiday. But until now I never really understood it or internalized it. The Christ died to save me of my 'sins' but it was always something outside of me, outside of myself, some unknown score card being kept by an imaginary referee up there in the sky. But, maybe you can look a it this way- if he could forgive you for what you've done, certainly you can forgive yourself. And in forgiving yourself you set off a chain reaction towards understanding and hapiness.