I did a google search on forgiveness, reconciliation and revenge and found more meaningful websites for forgiveness out of all the three terms. Forgiveness is the main theme to let go of anger and revenge and lead a content life as per all religions. The Bible instructs us to forgive as the Lord forgave us. Forgiveness is an individual choice we make through a decision of our will motivated by obedience to God and his command to forgive. The Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance website specifies that they are a non-profit organization whose mission is to evoke the healing spirit of Forgiveness worldwide. They declare, "Forgiveness Is the Greatest Healer of Them All" and that "Without Forgiveness There is No Future". Similarly there are Transformation Services available who collect & share real stories of forgiveness and conflict resolution to help individuals transform the pain and conflict in their own lives.
Revenge produces more of TV shows or movies sites, as it is popular theme shown in action, drama and thriller movies and soaps. In reality revenge cannot lead us anywhere, because it just goes on in a cyclical form fetching no productive outcome. Reconciliation is always a step followed by forgiveness. Reconciliation produced websites with the definition, reconciliation as a process in senate to reconsider the bill and pass it on mutual terms, The Fellowship of Reconciliation which is a largest, and oldest interfaith peace organization in the United States, working for peace, justice and nonviolence since 1915, Reconciliation ministries run by churches to help people overcome conflict, attacks, and oppression by bridging the gap between offenders and offended.
I agree with you that forgiveness is an individual choice we make; however, I feel that forgiveness needs to come before reconciliation rather than the other way around. It makes no sense to reconcile with someone without first forgiving them. Either way, in our hearts we feel the pain an offense caused, but if we have managed to forgive a person for something they did to us, our hearts are open once more to sharing a worthwhile relationship with them and re-building trust in them.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you that revenge doesn’t lead us anywhere except in a circle. Revenge doesn’t let us grow as a person, or at least not in a positive direction. In keeping busy scheming and carrying out a revengeful act, we are re-living the event that harmed us, which reinforces our hurt feelings. When taking revenge, we forget that we are harming ourselves physically and psychologically by hanging on to the hurt caused by another person.