Forgiveness: the intrinsic part of a Christian

*DON-MARTIN TAKUDZWA WHANDE | Friday January 7, 2011 00:00

Personally, I sternly believe the reason why forgiveness is hard for the majority of people is simply because we are all emotional beings.

As a result of those emotions, when people want to forgive they make decisions based on feeling.  But the major problem with making decisions (such as to forgive) based more on feeling than on conscious reasoning or fact is that, for the most part, emotion causes us to overrule our normal judgment of things.

We should instead forgive from a conscious perspective.

Recently, I was reading a story about a man and his wife who had been robbed and beaten up by thugs.

Indeed, this was a really sad case and was disconcerting.  Such behaviour should be avoided at all costs.

I do symphathise with all the abused families.  No matter how hard I try to put myself in their shoes it's a fact that I can never feel the real pain they are undergoing.

I can only go as far as imagining what they are going through, but it is clear that their pain and anguish surpasses all human understanding.

I believe the reason they find it hard to forgive and let go is because betrayal has come from someone they served, respected and trusted. I do believe it is easier to forgive a person you do not know than someone you have known, especially a church leader who to all purposes should be in right standing not only with God but with the flock he leads.

I was saddened to find that the victims had gone as far as wanting to ensure that the cleric is charged with 'crimes against humanity', on account of betraying people who had taken spiritual refuge in him.

I understand the pain, emotion and personal anguish these people are going through.

In some instances the scar is too deep for many people resulting in them eternally condemning a person for one wayward behaviour.

Although I am advocating for forgiveness, I am not giving liberty to the church leaders to behave unruly so that they can take advantage of forgiveness.

Leaders, whether religious or political, have a big task of ensuring that they exhibit commendable behaviour before people.

I say this because sometimes it takes one uncouth act to bring down an entire organisation, community or church.  This is why leaders should ensure commendable behaviour and ensure that their lives are exemplary in all aspects.

For Christians, forgiveness is ironically much more difficult, considering the Biblical perspective to always forgive, no matter how brutal the act might have been.

Just as God forgives and forgets, it is also necessary for people to ensure that once they forgive they should do it with the best of intentions and never go back to the issue again.  It is through constant reminiscing of past acts that reactivate feelings of revenge and vindictiveness.  As a result, their forgiveness is not complete, but marked by portions of bitterness.