ONE OF THE GREATEST ACTS of forgiveness I have known of in my lifetime was of a friend in Northern Ireland whose daughter was murdered by the Irish Republican Army. When interviewed by the world's press shortly after the incident, he spoke of forgiving the perpetrators, and spent the rest of his life trying to bring peace and reconciliation to Ireland.
How can we overcome hatred, bitterness, and resentment? Throughout the Bible there are stories of how various folk overcame challenges in their lives caused by hatred. Hatred often fueled by a lust for power over one's neighbor, or his possessions, or because of a difference in culture or religious beliefs.
Jesus, who walked the streets of Jerusalem as a Jew, healed the sick; yet he was hated by some of his own people, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees—the practitioners and upholders of strict Jewish law. They saw him as a threat to their way of life, to the power they exercised over the people, and eventually they conspired to have him put to death. But during his lifetime and to the present day, Jesus' words of forgiveness and love echo in the consciousness of humanity. Simply but profoundly he counseled humanity: "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. ... And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise" (Luke 6:27, 28, 31).
