Which Seeds Are You Watering?

Yesterday, I quoted Jack Kornfield as he reflected on forgiveness as an art. In his reflections, he qualified the concept. He said, “First of all, forgiveness doesn’t mean forgive and forget. And it doesn’t condone what happened. You really need to see what happened clearly, feel the suffering of it in whatever way this happened to you or somebody else, and then resolve to do whatever you can to stop that suffering. That you will stand up or you will do whatever it takes so that the suffering doesn’t continue. So (forgiveness) is not rolling over in any way.

“But then, forgiveness is about what you carry in yourself.”

It is about what seeds you choose to water: seeds of bitterness and anger, or seeds of peace and well-being. Forgiveness is about letting go and wishing the other well, despite the past. And maybe for you, it is a process – maybe a long process that starts with prayer.

The truth is, as Kornfield claims, “Without it, we’re lost, without it, you have the Hutus and the Tutsis or the Bosnians and the Serbs, or the Northern Irish Catholics and Protestants… You just keep the cycle going, and at some point, it has to stop with someone. Someone has to say it stops here.”

What about in your own life? Are there relationships – even now – that are strained? Is there a cold indifference or bitterness building inside you? Are you carrying around the weight of anger and resentment? For your own well-being, could things be different? For the well-being of your own soul, could you say, “It stops here?”

In Isaiah (43:25) we read, “I, even I, am the One who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him…” (Mark 11:25).

Let us pray: God of Grace, on this Holy Saturday, as we wait between the cross and the empty tomb, we remember again your love for us. We remember your forgiveness and grace. And we remember that you have called us to a better path. Draw near to us, as we hand over to you any resentment, anger, or hatred we may be feeling. Empower us to let go. And as we do, may your healing Spirit move deep within us. We ask in Christ’s name. Amen.