Quote by C.S. Lewis
...here also forgiving does not mean excusing. Many people seem to think it does. They think that if you ask them to forgive someone who has cheated or bullied them you are trying to make out that there was really no cheating or bullying. But if that were so, there would be nothing to forgive. (This doesn't mean that you must necessarily believe his next promise. It does mean that you must make every effort to kill every taste of resentment in your own heart - every wish to humiliate or hurt him or to pay him out.)
Summary
In this quote, the author emphasizes that forgiving does not imply excusing the wrongdoings of others. Often, people misunderstand forgiveness as denying or dismissing the gravity of the offense. However, the author points out that if the offense is not real or significant, there would be no need for forgiveness in the first place. However, forgiveness does not require faith in future promises made by the wrongdoer. Instead, it demands individuals to eradicate any feelings of resentment or desire for revenge in order to truly forgive.
Topics
Forgiveness
By C.S. Lewis
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