FORGIVING

Inability To Think

 In a recent chapel service bulletin from Chaplain Wendell C. Hawley, comes a classic illustration of forgiveness. When the Moravian missionaries first went to the Eskimos, they could not find a word in their language for forgiveness, so they had to compound one. This turned out to be: Issumagijoujungnainermik. It is a formidable-looking assembly of letters, but an expression that has a beautiful connotation for those who understand it. It means: “Not-being-able-to-think-about-it-anymore.”

—Minister’s Research Service

Trampled Fragrance

 A little boy, being asked what forgiveness is, gave the beautiful answer: “It is the odor that flowers breathe when they are trampled upon.”

Success On “The Last Supper”

 Leonardo da Vinci was one of the outstanding intellects of all history, for he was great as a draftsman, an engineer, and a thinker. Just before he commenced work on his “Last Supper” he had a violent quarrel with a fellow painter. So enraged and bitter was Leonardo that he determined to paint the face of his enemy, the other artist, into the face of Judas, and thus take his revenge and vent his spleen by handling the man down in infamy and scorn to succeeding generations. The face of Judas was therefore one of the first that he finished, and everyone could easily recognize it as the face of the painter with whom he had quarreled.

 But when he came to paint the face of Christ, he could make no progress. Something seemed to be baffling him, holding him back, frustrating his best efforts. At length he came to the conclusion that the thing which was checking and frustrating him was the fact that he had painted his enemy into the face of Judas. He therefore painted out the face of Judas and commenced anew on the face of Jesus, and this time with the success which the ages have acclaimed.

 You cannot at one and the same time be painting the features of Christ into your own life, and painting another face with the colors of enmity and hatred.

—C. E. Macartney

Niemoller’s Discovery

 After languishing for months in Hitler’s prison Martin Niemoller emerged saying, “It took me a long time to learn that God is not the enemy of His enemies!”

No Room For Injuries

 King Henry VI of England had it said of him: “He never forgot anything but injuries.” Of Cranmer it was said: “If you want to get a favor from him, do him a wrong.” Emerson said of Lincoln: “His heart was as great as the world, but there was no room in it for the memory of a wrong.” Spurgeon gives this advice: “Cultivate forbearance till your heart yields a fine crop of it. Pray for a short memory as to unkindness.”

—Rev. David L. Currens

The Best Gift

 The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.

—Lord Balfour

Epigram On Forgiving

•     The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.

•     Speak well of your enemies; remember you made them.

•     You may have noticed that every enemy you made has ten friends. And every friend you made has ten more friends!

•     The greatest conqueror is he who overcomes the enemy without a blow.

—Chinese Proverb

•     “A Christian is not perfect; he is FORGIVEN.”

—Car Bumper Sticke

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