I was watching a movie--Madea's Family Reunion--and there was a scene where a mother let her 2nd husband have his way with her oldest daughter just so that she could continue to live her comfortable life style. As I was watching this scene play out, I couldn't help but think of the scripture 2 Timothy 3:1-5; there it speaks of "men being lovers of themselves, lovers of money...disloyal, having no natural affection". I mean here is a mother who has pimped out her daughter for her own selfish desires. The scene ends by the daughter saying, in tears, that she will no longer allow her mother to control her, that she forgives her and prays that God has mercy on her soul. After that heart-wrenching scene I began to question what forgiveness really is. It no longer seems like forgiveness is for the person who has committed the offense but rather for the injured party. Is forgiveness a way for the injured party to escape from the grips of the offender; in other words by saying "I forgive you" they are, in actuality, saying that I will no longer let this event plague my life, my thoughts, my being? And when the daughter says, "I pray that God have mercy on her soul" is she letting her mother know that she will never show her mercy and that her only chance of true mercy and forgiveness is in the hands of God.


I ask this because that scene made me think of situations I've been in where in my hear I know I cannot truly forgive those that have hurt me. I don't whole-heartedly live by the adage "forgive and forget", because I have never told people who have hurt me that I forgive them and I have certainly never forgotten what took place. On the other hand, I don't let such crushing events stop me from being cordial and pleasant when I happen to be in the company of someone who has hurt me. Part of the Lord's prayer says "forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors" and when Jesus' disciples asked Him how many times should he forgive someone who has sinned against him, Jesus' reply was "up to seventy-seven times." I know I have never lived up to that "seventy-seven times", but who can?


I know we've talked about it some but what do you think forgiveness is and is it really possible to forgive someone even if they have hurt you in a big way? Ask some of your LJ friends what they think, I would love to know other perspectives.