Henri Nouwen on the importance of forgiveness

Paul writes – Tom Allen (RIP) recently posted a great quote from Henri Nouwen:

 

"Forgiving does not mean forgetting. When we forgive a

person, the memory of the wound might stay with us for a

long time, even throughout our lives. Sometimes we carry the

memory in our bodies as a visible sign. But forgiveness

changes the way we remember. It converts the curse into a

blessing. When we forgive our parents for their divorce, our

children for their lack of attention, our friends for their

unfaithfulness in crisis, our doctors for their ill advice,

we no longer have to experience ourselves as the victims of

events we had no control over.

 

Forgiveness allows us to claim our own power and not let
these events destroy us; it enables them to become events
that deepen the wisdom of our hearts. Forgiveness indeed
heals memories."