Forgiveness demands three new simultaneous 'seeings': I must see God in the other; I must access God in myself; and I must experience God in a new way that is larger than an 'Enforcer.' -- Fr Richard Rohr, Daily Meditation, April 30, 2017
Forgiveness. I suspect the word "forgiveness" is the devil's (my ego's) hidey-hole. I suspect that is because the very word all but makes me break out in shingles...who's kidding whom, my ego finds it sanctimonious.
My admittedly rare experiences with forgiveness have been realized by my looking back. One particular occasion, a betrayal by my then mentor, when I was hurt to my core. I was spiritually advised to let it go...which I did. I did not hurt; I did not dwell there. Ten years later when that same person came to me for help, I did not even remember the hurt experience, and I gave my best to them.
When forgiveness happened, I know not...it was only upon being reminded many years later of the experience that the memory of it returned...not the hurt, just a memory with no ribbons or bows attached.
The above quote invited me to look more deeply into that experience and discover the following points of identity today:
I must see God in the other...the other was my mentor, who I already considered holy, so God's hand was clearly in any forgiveness. Proof...we are close friends today, fifty years later.
I must access God in myself...I tend to believe I access God in myself by God's access of me. There is no other way than by God's grace that my mind could be cleansed in the instant; it was then and has been on the rare occasion since.
I must experience God in a new way that is larger than an 'Enforcer'...I do not recall thinking of God as an Enforcer...more like my "Stepin Fetchit," precisely the old way that must change. I must experience God in a new way that is larger than i can imagine.
Forgiveness. The very word is an exercise in getting over our self. Love and laugh.
Thank you.
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