The Trait of the Strong

His heart was as great as the world, but there was no room in it to hold the memory of a wrong.
            Ralph Waldo Emerson, Letters and Social Aims, 1876

Forgiveness is a nebulous concept these days.  When I consider the things that have happen around the world and within my country, I wonder how things would be different with the concept of forgiveness.  What would happen to the cultural and societal quagmires if clemency could be employed?  All major religions have a great deal to say on the matter – making it more puzzling why the adherents of these many faiths forget their teachings.  When we despair at the state of the world and our own communities, it is refreshing and healing to look back and remember our teachings.   

In Judaism, one of the most amazing stories of forgiveness lies with the story of Joseph.  It might be known to readers that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery.  However, Joseph rose to prominence and was later in a position to confront his brothers during a time of famine and he in a position to distribute food.  As mentioned in Genesis, Joseph forgave them saying that God had brought him to his current position, not them.  The Talmud emphasizes this Mitzvah by stating, “Whose iniquities does God tolerate?  A person who forgives the transgressions of another.”   

The most telling story of forgiveness in Christianity is seen when Jesus address the masses during the Sermon on the Mount.  In Matthew, Jesus cautions that before one can go to God in prayer, in their heart, they must first forgive their fellow man.  The Lord’s Prayer is filled with the virtue of a forgiving heart while Jesus, in His last moments on the cross, forgave those who placed him upon it.  In Islam, there are many names of God including the “most Forgiving,” “the most Merciful” and the “most Compassionate.”  The Prophet Muhammad epitomized this trait and its importance when he forgave the leaders of Mecca who had attacked, belittled and railed against him since leaving his hometown seven years prior.  The Quran states, “The reward of the evil is the evil thereof but whosoever forgives and makes amends, his reward is upon Allah.”   

In Hinduism, forgiveness is such an honored trait that Vishnu said only one born with the virtues of the divine forgives.  Gandhi underscored this trait saying only the strong can forgive.  As an element of Karma, it is what defines one’s life and therefore, the lives that are yet to come.  As Hinduism emphasizes this trait, so does Buddhism.  The way one achieves Enlightenment is through something called the Eightfold Path.  A part of this path is “right thoughts.”  A begrudging heart can never achieve the right thought required of all Buddhists and therefore, forgiveness is an essential part to inner peace and spiritual awakening.  One who cannot expunge hatred or resentment carries it with them and is soon enveloped by it. 

As when I wrote about thankfulness a couple of years ago, I do not profess any expertise with the trait of forgiveness.  In some ways, I’m worse because I know what God expects from me but do not always meet His demands.  It is a struggle but one that I strive to overcome each day.  To forgive is to love – it eliminates hate and therefore, eliminates conflict.  Within each faith that I’ve alluded to here are simple guidelines to how to live with our brothers and sisters and ourselves.  If we can do this, imagine the world we can create.