To Err is human; to Forgive, Divine!

All people commit sins and make mistakes. God forgives them, and people are acting in a godlike (divine) way when they forgive. This saying is from “An Essay on Criticism,” by Alexander Pope.

Forgiving someone for their mistakes is so divine and priceless expression indeed. Do you remember when you committed a grave mistake and someone who is extremely hurt by your mistake or misdeed pats you on the back and says " Forget it brother, I have forgiven you!" This is such a beautiful expression of love and care in return to the mistake committed and Universe always forgives someone who has apologised for his or her mistake once!

When you forgive some one tt argues that forgiveness can be seen as a 'healing virtue' since you have a capacity to 'free an individual' from being consumed by anger and hatred, you need to check one's tendency toward cruelty, and open doors to the restoration of broken relationships by opening both the arms and taking the person in deep embrace. They say forgiveness washes away your sins and misdeeds of the past provided you improve upon your bad deeds and make an attempt to restore and rehabilitate yourself in a determined manner.

We have seen that hardcore criminals and murderers are not bad by heart but they sometimes become cruel in a fit of anger or rage and hit someone or kill someone just to take revenge, but later on when one realises his or her grave crime they are regretting and repenting on their heat of the moment sin and apologise to the authorities. As there is a law of land for every crime and every criminal has to face law and also face punishment for his or her crime, there is always a 'mercy petition' allowed in the law that before a death sentence to a convict there is a provision in the law when the convict can apply for mercy from the highest authority of the nation like the President and if there is any scope of mercy then the death sentence is reduced to life imprisonment provided there is a genuine reason and justification of doing so. Therefore forgiving is always giving a chance or survival to the culprit to spend the rest of the life in restoring and rehabilitation oneself towards social well being and justice.

However, there are some sins as mentioned in the Bible, Matthew 12:30-32: "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, any sin and blasphemy can be forgiven. But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release the feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. ... Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean condoning or excusing offences, it just means that the person with a big heart pardoned your mistakes and given you an opportunity of correcting yourself.

Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you. Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting or excusing the harm done to you or making up with the person who caused the harm. Forgiveness brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life and makes you a recipient of justice should you so deserve.