Forgiveness; What happened to it? Can it be renewed by humanity?

Forgiveness;  What happened to it? Can it be renewed by humanity?

A family member becomes a problem and he creates an upheaval within his marriage or even worse takes on the adage of the black sheep of the family.  The disgrace that ensues sometimes can destroy relationships, marriages, and may lead to violence within the closest members of a one-time close family.  

One family, a prototype of many in society, found the husband addicted to drugs and his wife tried to live with it until he became violent towards her and the children.  They were traumatized each night when he returned home appearing as a monster and abusing the family.  The wife finally got a divorce and at times had to beat him with a stick when he tried to get back in the house.  Before the separation he was breaking into neighbor’s homes for money to feed his addiction.  Years later, he attempted to reach his children.  After all, he was still their father and has a right to at least connect at some point with them.  At this point he was trying to make things right once more, especially with his children.  The wife was so hurt by his previous attempts of reconciliation she forbade the children to even mention his name, let alone make any contact with him.  Were there any signs of forgiveness?  To this day, none.

There are many men who have found themselves incarcerated for any number of crimes.  Some of them have become model prisoners, finding Christ and looking to change their past.  Have they found forgiveness from those they hurt? 

Another man who found himself ostracized from his wife of many years.  No drugs, alcohol or any type of abuse were present, but for some background of abuse in the wife’s early childhood she became a victim herself before her marriage.  Unfortunately she carried these memories into her marriage and consequently the relationship slowly went downhill.  After over 30 years a divorce became a tragedy and it didn’t end there.   The grandchildren became a weapon in her eyes and until her death some years later the husband found himself looking into a situation that finally smoothed over.  Forgiveness now was on the husband’s shoulders, even after her passing.  

A Rabbi once said that the extermination of 6 million Jews was too difficult for him to forgive the Nazi regime.  He said God would have to forgive them, he could not.  Wars and all of their atrocities have left millions upon millions of innocent people devastated for years after the fighting.  Some never could recover.  Can we as Christian and Jews forgive these perpetrators? 

To whom will we, as sinners, reach out to those who have hurt us?  We see the many cultures who were punished growing up because of race or national background.  They want their compensation for their ancestors’ abuse.  As I wrote before, my Mother, a full-blooded Italian, grew up in the 1920’s.  The Italian children were bullied by German and Irish children because of culture hatred.   Italian store owners suffered constant broken windows as they tried to earn an honest living.  When I attempted to join the local police force the chief called me in and was honest in his rhetoric.  He said I had two strikes against me.  I was a registered Democrat which I could change, but as a Catholic I would be rejected.  All of these were in my boyhood town.  I grew up not hating the insults of the times of my mother’s family heritage.  I learned to be forgiving since human expressions are just weaknesses and those who perpetrate them are reflecting what all people do because of ignorance, not in born hate.

Most people advance to the dictates that Christ taught us by taking hus words to heart.  “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the one person who takes your cloak, do not even withhold your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners do the same.  But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Lk 6: 27 - 36).  

We often hear the cliche “Cafeteria Catholics”  Its meaning here is often overlooked by those who pick and choose they will be forgiving ro.  Who did Christ hang on the cross for as his Blood covered all atrocities and was forgiveness to all of humanity

Without total forgiveness we as a society will find it hard to believe God will deal with us as we deal with those we do not forgive.  Be like God; Forgive from our hearts.  

Ralph B. Hathaway