By Thomas Creen, MJ • Phoenix, AZ
An old priest once made the observation in my hearing that mercy isn’t only basic Christianity, it’s smart. He pointed out that if I refuse to forgive someone for a perceived wrong against me and spend my days thinking about how bad that person seems to be, it doesn’t hurt the perceived offender, it only hurts me. The other person goes on blissfully continuing his or her life while I eat myself up inside. On the other hand, if I forgive perceived wrongs against me, it gives me peace. It also gives me power before the awesome tribunal of Christ when I die and stand before God because Jesus revealed to us how it works: “If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).
In a certain country, there once was a Catholic man who was angry at his local priest because he thought the priest was involved in bad things. Seeing this man’s loathing for the priest, a friend of mine told the man that we must hate any sin but love all sinners and that we all must learn to love one another now if we hope to live together forever in Heaven later. The man replied, “I would rather rot in Hell than have to spend eternity in Heaven with that priest.” The man was in a fit of anger so, of course, it is possible that he didn’t really reflect upon the true consequences of what he was saying. But anyone who is calmly thinking straight can see by this extreme example the dangers of not forgiving.
Forgiving others benefits us. Not forgiving others hurts us in time and in eternity.
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