Tuesday, September 27, 2005
FORGIVENESSHere's something interesting I read recently in a book of interviews with Bono from U2 recently. He's talking about the death of his father, and the stormy relationship they used to have:
"... there was a sort of father-son tension, that I probably just let go of in the past few weeks. Ali (Bono's wife) said to me that since his death, I haven't been myself, and that I have been a lot more aggressive, and quicker to anger, and showing my father's irascible side...
When my father died, I went on a short vacation, which turned into a euphemism for "drinks outing". I don't like to abuse alcohol - anything you abuse will abuse you back. But it's fair to say that I went to Bali for a drink.... I wanted to blow it out a bit, get the monkey off my back. But when I returned, funnily enough, it was still there. I think its been around with me a lot. And so just on Easter, I went up to the church in a little village where we live in France, and I just felt this was the moment that I had to let it go. An emotional volcano had gone off during the week before Easter, and I just wanted to find out. I wanted to deal with the source of whatever it was. In this little church, on Easter morning, I just got down on my knees, and I let go of whatever anger I had against my father. And I thanked God for him being my father, and for the gifts that I have been given through him. And I let go of that. I wept, and I felt rid of it."
For me the subject of forgiveness is one that I find to be the most mysterious of all in the Christian life. There are great depths there to be plumbed. However, most of my scant understanding of resources on this subject are woefully inadequate.
One either finds that writing on it is of the storytelling nature along the lines of the quote above, or on the other hand, simple 3-point generalisations that are so insipid they seem like the written equivalent of argus posters. Obviously there is the Truth and Reconciliation commission in South Africa, but forgiveness is such a broad topic because its consequences reach so far.
SO!
I think it would be great to allow this posting for people to share their thoughts, experiences, stories, ideas, books they have read all on the subject of forgiveness.
I hope that it will be helpful to some, cathartic for others, and invaluable to all, and I look forward to reading your thoughts.
