It's one of my favorite expressions that you hear so often on TV. Whatever happened to you in the past can be your income in the future. It could be a car accident, something failed in a contract, maybe somebody hit you when you were skiing. Compensation is just waiting for you. There is no place for forgiveness if a few hundreds or thousands of dollars are about to be in your pocket. And everything happens in the name of justice.
I always wonder how it works when we say "Our Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us." Of course it is important keep the meaning and sense of justice. God follows justice. But there is one more element that is just before justice and it is God's mercy.
Mercy is one of the biggest attributes of God.
Just for a moment think what would happen to you if God would demand compensation for every single sin that you committed in your life. Probably none of us would get to heaven. Fortunately God is not us. He knows that all of us need this gift from him. I think this world would be much better if we will learn how to forgive each other from the depth of our hearts. So many people would talk again, many families would come together after years of silence, people would be much healthier with lower blood pressure. It is one simple thing that could change this entire world.
Our time is cursed with the need of being entitled to everything. We deserve to be paid back by anyone who is not in agreement with us. However, there is an even bigger danger ahead. To make others comfortable we will not be able to speak the truth because it might trigger somebody's painful emotions. And we shouldn't be surprised that we are heading in this direction. That happens when people stop truly forgiving.