One Little Word: Forgiveness

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.

The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” translated by Frederick H. Hedge

There’s one little word that can shatter all discord, anger, and hate in relationships and among people: forgiveness.

It’s possible to see the best in our neighbors because of one thing: forgiveness.

It’s possible to solve problems of diversity, equity, and inclusion with one thing: forgiveness.

It’s possible to heal the wounds and pain from sexual, physical, and mental abuse with one thing: forgiveness.

It’s possible to bridge rifts caused by false accusations and lies with one thing: forgiveness.

It’s possible to save America with one thing: forgiveness.

The amazing thing about this one little word is that it turns out to be a gift to you, not so much the gift to the person your forgiving. It’s one of the hardest things in the world to do when someone has hurt you, but if you can find within yourself the strength to begin the process of forgiveness, it’s the greatest gift to yourself you can give.

It’s also one little word the prince of darkness hates to hear. It’s the one thing evil cannot stand. Why? Because evil loves discord. Evil loves when we harbor anger, bitterness, revenge, and envy in our hearts because it distances and distracts us from a relationship with our Creator. And when that relationship is non-existent or dysfunctional, all other relationships become dysfunctional. Forgiveness unlocks our ability to order the loves of our life correctly. Love God. Love people. Love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, first. Love our neighbor as ourselves, second. The father of lies loses power and control over us when we chose to forgive. Then we are free to live up to the life which God called us.