The Burden of Forgiveness

I stumbled on this video the other day:

This is a concept I hadn’t thought about. Being Catholic, I was taught (as he points out) that I have to forgive regardless. The concept he’s talking about is that you don’t have to forgive if the person who done you wrong didn’t admit their error and beg forgiveness.

That makes sense, and it is in the bible, or at least inferred, everywhere I looked.

If requested you should forgive. If it’s not, you shouldn’t have it in your thoughts. And to forgive does not mean to forget. You don’t have to forget, or let whatever the offense was happen repeatedly. As Jesus said to the adulteress, “Go forth and sin no more”.

Forgive but you don’t forget. Just because that person is forgiven, it doesn’t mean they return where they were in your circle of trust. That has to be earned back, if you grant it ever.

This really resonated with me and gave me some sense of peace.