To forgive

[25yearsmlc]

2 more 'things"...

First, with very few exceptions, every long term happy marriage I know of, has required chunks of forgiveness somewhere along the way. There is simply no way to stay together happily, and also keep a record of wrongs.

Second, here is a re-cap of a story I heard at a workshop I attended years ago.

(( I've been to several personal growth workshops along the way. By far, this one was the best. A lot of DBers have also gone and they each found it profoundly life changing, as I did. It's called "Essential Experience" ("EE" for short) and it is done in Philadelphia.
Because it's "experiential" and not in a lecture format, you can't "edit" or "rehearse" your responses. That makes for a lot of self discovery. Truly, a deeply worthwhile experience.

Check their website out. I can't say enough about it. (Well, I guess I can say "GO to EE! And now, I'll move on"...)

Anyway, here's the parable.

When The World Was Going to End


One day at noon, the whole world heard a loud voice say “In 7 days, the end of the world will be upon you”. At first, people marveled at the feat of someone being able to talk to the whole world in language of every person. What a great prank! Some folks found the words disturbing however.

The next day at noon, the world heard the words again, “In 6 days the end of the world will be upon you.” This bothered more people b/c they no longer felt it was a prank, but an actual warning. But from whom? What did it mean?

The next day at noon again, the whole world heard the words “In 5 days the end of the world will be upon you.” Now, people were upset. Some began to travel out of the city and into the countryside. Some began to prepare for a disaster or Armageddon. But It seemed no matter where they went, or how remote the area, the message had gotten thru, it had been heard.

Also, there began to be colors & marks on people’s faces; the colors & marks of their sin.

For instance, the green of envy was on many faces, or the word “greed" was like a tattoo across their cheek. The letter “A” for adultery was on their foreheads.

Politicians & many in the clergy began wearing bags or masks over their heads, and celebrities went on “retreats” where no one could see their faces. People were ashamed and hid.

The next day when the voice said, "in 3 days the end of the world will be upon you”, many people were getting angry and others became very upset.

They flocked to their churches and prayed. The rich began giving away their money.

Still the stains remained, and the next day the voice again declared, “in 2 days the end of the world will be upon you”.

Now people truly despaired. It seemed nothing they did could stop the end of the world from coming. Leaders met in conferences to decide on a strategy, (their faces hidden of course).

There were some who began to accept that the end was coming. They got their things in order, or wrote letters to loved ones.

In one home a husband stood next to his wife and they both looked out the window. The husband had the letter “A” on his forehead, and his wife had the signs of jealousy and envy plainly visible on her face and arms.

The husband said to his wife, “I want you to know that those other women never meant a thing to me & I'm so sorry I hurt you. You’re the only woman I ever really loved.
Do you think you could find it in your heart to someday forgive me?

The wife turned to him and said “Yes I do forgive you. And I want you to know I'm sorry for all my resentments & the times I rejected you? Do you think you could ever forgive me?"

The husband said “oh yes wife, I forgive you.” The two embraced as they had not embraced in many years.

As they looked into each others eyes, suddenly, the colors on the wife's face faded away in a flash, and the letter “A” of adultery dropped from the husbands' forehead.

The couple realized what was happening and began to yell out the window about what had just happened, and word began to spread.

Other couples began to forgive each other. Brothers & sisters who had been estranged, began reaching out to each other and embracing. Parents and their children reunited as did many couples, and old feuds faded.

World leaders began to sign treaties they had rejected before.

People were making up & reconciling all across the planet, and the colors and marks began to fade even faster…

People rejoiced as all across the planet, forgiveness had spread.

Along with forgiveness, came the freedom to love & be loved.
And the world was saved.