Among the most important and possibly the least practiced of the provisions in the prayer which Christ Jesus gave to his disciples—the Lord's Prayer—is that which makes the forgiveness of one's transgressions conditional upon the petitioner's forgiveness of his fellow beings.
Through long familiarity with the words of this ideal prayer one is apt to let it become a vain repetition, unless its spirit is being consciously assimilated into one's thoughts and life. While mortals naturally desire forgiveness for themselves, they are not always equally ready or willing to forgive what they consider the wrongdoings of others. Yet it is plain that nothing is more needful to the Christianization of humanity.
"As we forgive"! Were this one condition generally and lovingly fulfilled, there would be no incentive to strife, no discord in organizations, no friction in family associations, no cultivation of offenses to bear fruit in enmity, no development of misunderstanding to chill the warmth of friendship or to bring disunity into the ranks of allied workers.
