I heard once of a shocking custom in a primitive tribe. When someone in the group killed another, they strapped the dead body of the victim onto the back of the murderer until he eventually died, too. As I was thinking about forgiveness recently, this horrifying practice came to mind. It seemed to have a spiritual parallel.
The Bible says in John 3:15, “Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer.” And in 1 John 3:14, “He that loves not his brother abides on death.” When we hold something in our heart against someone and will not forgive, we actually hate them. And the hatred binds us to them just as surely as love does.
Medical findings indicate that bitterness and unforgiveness can bring on all manner of disease. Could it be that those we hate and thus murder spiritually are bound to us, slowly poisoning our own body and soul, until we too are among the living dead?
This is a serious consideration, especially in light of the fact that in the Greek the word “forgive” means to unbind.
Unfulfilled expectations make us bitter.
They break a sweet heart
and make it a quitter
No longer will we freely give
to the offending friend
no longer will we peacefully live
until forgiveness, our hearts can mend.
~
Editor’s Note: This is from a collection of poems and essays written by my friend Alma Newitt. Alma passed away in February of 2014.
