Transformational Living

Forgiveness: Part II

I’ve just finished reading “The Shock of Conscience” by Rob Baker in Parabola Magazine in the issue on Forgiveness. He begins his essay by noting that we seldom equate Broadway musicals such as Les Miserables with “serious ideas of a spiritual nature. The musical glossed over the inner struggles of Valjean and Javert in spite of several powerful songs. Baker wrote:

“The miserable ones are not so much the starving masses or the politically oppressed as they are the spiritually bankrupt, those individuals who cannot forgive others or themselves.”

Both men came from impoverished backgrounds, Valjean serving 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread and Javert becoming a “self-appointed prosecutor of the Law”. Valjean, the thief, is saved and redeemed through the power of loving forgiveness. Javert, the policeman, is driven to extremes of vengeance because of his complete inability to forgive.

Valjean sought to transform his life in the midst of social and political chaos, learning from and growing through his suffering. Javert, driven by hatred and the turmoil of an inner rage, denied even the possibility of hope and redemption. Valjean ‘won’ through acts of compassion for and surrender to Javert.

“…the real revolution remains an inner struggle for clarity and wholeness…an acceptance of his suffering and something higher that has come to rule his life.”

Is it possible that Valjean and Javert are the opposite sides of the same coin? Is it possible that our inner conflict comes not from the world around us, but from the unforgiven/unforgivable within us? We teach, preach and practice forgiveness of others, but have we learned to forgive ourselves as well?

Rev. Claudia Naylor

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Transformational Living

Keys to Wholeness: Forgiveness

The Burning Bowl is a powerful symbol of forgiveness and letting go to grow. We can hold on to anger and resentment and warm ourselves by the burning fires of turmoil in our stomach. Or not.

It sounds like a ridiculously simple and logical choice: forgive or suffer. Yet, consciously or unconsciously, we slide into “instant replay” mode and allow the perfect storm of ricocheting emotions to build up into an overwhelming wall of doom. Jesus said in Mt. 5:44-45:

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”

In Mt.22:37 He said:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Fr. Thomas Hopko addressed the issue of forgiveness in “Living in Communion”. He writes that we are created in the image and likeness of God and that forgiveness is essential if we are to ”carry on in a spirit of love without letting the evil poison the future.”

We must acknowledge the facts--the pain, allow ourselves to grieve and then we must forgive because:

“The only way you can prove you love God is by loving your neighbor, and the only way you can love your neighbor in this world is by endless forgiveness.”

Transformational living requires that we make conscious choices, daily, to come up higher. Cast off the mental and emotional burdens of the past and begin the New Year lighter and brighter, freer than ever before. As Fr. Hopko wrote:

“Forgiveness is not just the healing of the other, it is the healing of yourself, too. If you don’t forgive, you allow yourself to be poisoned.”

Rev. Claudia Naylor

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