What Is Forgiveness?

Since completing the last review section, lessons 201-220, The Course has taken a change of course in how it presents the lessons. They are now broken down into sections of ten lessons with a topic in the form of a question that is covered in the ten lessons. The lessons themselves have become shorter again with one paragraph as a prayer to the Father (God) and one paragraph as the channeled message from Jesus to the authors of The Course.

The first section with this new format is titled: What Is Forgiveness? And in the introduction it states beautifully:

Forgiveness, on the other hand is still, and quietly does nothing. It offends no aspect of reality, nor seeks to twist it to appearances it likes. It merely looks, and waits, and judges not.

Forgiveness seems so hard for so many. Maybe it is because it is thought of as something that we must do, a great effort or task. But that is an illusion. In reality, we only have to let go and do nothing. Forgiveness is the release of the chains that we put on ourselves, of the suffering we create in our minds, so that we can what? Seek revenge? Hurt someone back? Not forgiving harms no one but ourselves. By finding the inner strength to release, let go, and surrender our anger, hatred, and fear into the arms of God, into Love, into Joy, into Peace, we will suddenly find ourselves at that place of stillness where we already are. And, it takes nothing!

In Lesson 225 it states: Father, I must return Your Love for me, for giving and receiving are the same, and You have given all Your Love to me. 

When I read for giving, I also read forgiving. This made me think of the meaning of forgive. The English word is very similar to the German word for forgive: vergeben, which has more clarity when breaking the word into its two parts: for/ver and give/geben. The give/geben is clear in meaning, but the for/ver tells us how the giving is done: completely, thoroughly, or beyond a boundary (bonds). 

Forgiveness is an act of giving fully, thoroughly, beyond the boundaries of the illusions of the mind. This thorough giving is to our own souls, freeing our Selves from the bonds of the illusions of the mind by surrendering it to Love. Forgiving and receiving are the same and all it takes is nothing!

Lesson 229: Love, Which Created Me, Is What I Am. 

Blazing Light of Glory, is a co-created and cooperative writing, studying, and teaching effort of Lisa of BloomLisa and Julianne Victoria of Through the Peacock’s Eyes.

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