To forgive so as to forget a great wrong often seems impossible, much as one may strive to do so. The effort to forgive, even though not entirely successful, is nevertheless a step in the right direction, being in accord with the great commandments to love God and one's fellow man. In order to obey the divine command, the true understanding of God and of man's relation to Him must be gained.
Our great Master, Christ Jesus, spoke of his inability to do anything of himself. He acknowledged God as the only creator, and man as united to and governed by the Father, in conformity with the inspired record in the first chapter of Genesis, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion." Jesus plainly said to his disciples that "with God all things are possible." It is from this spiritual standpoint alone that the seemingly impossible is attained, because it is in harmony with the divine will. Pope has said, "To err is human, to forgive divine." Through spiritual understanding we find it possible to forgive and have assurance of being forgiven. Indeed, the Lord's Prayer, which all Christians honor and love, clearly requires that we forgive others their trespasses if we would be forgiven.
Christian Science, revealing the law of God, is consistent in its teachings that Love must forgive—destroy —all unlike itself by virtue of Love's allness. Humanity is immeasurably indebted to Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, for the revelation of the Science of Mind-healing, whereby the regeneration of the human self is accomplished, and man's heritage as the eternal likeness of God, divine Mind, is understood and established in health, harmony, and freedom. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 339): "The destruction of sin is the divine method of pardon. Divine Life destroys death, Truth destroys error, and Love destroys hate. Being destroyed, sin needs no other form of forgiveness." In the understanding of this clear, scientific statement is found the open door to complete freedom from evil for all mankind.
