Forgiveness

My day started this morning with a number of text messages from my younger sister, who having the capacity, and willingness to listen to my burdens from time to time was sending me passages of scripture which she thought would be instructive for me to contemplate. At the time I understood what she was attempting to do, however I didn't think she could appreciate how hard it was to try to read, and then type a text message particularly at 6:00 a.m. in the morning, so I called her while trying to dress and tie my shoes. Imagine me actually walking and chewing gum at the same time.Using the speaker on the phone made it much more practical, after all I was in a hurry to get out the door. I was glad on the other hand to have the conversation it started me thinking of essentially the point she was trying to make, which was to have the capacity to forgive.
                                                                         Now this is not something recently new to me, as a matter of fact one of the reasons she thought of this was a disagreement we had had a few years ago, and despite how upset I was, eventually I had the ability to forgive the transgression and move forward. We have made an attempt from that point to speak to each other at least once a week, and having that communication has created a special bond between us. It is our moment to share our lives, and our thoughts.Even if we do not agree...... it is still a time to take a moment or two to connect with family, and it has been very special.

                                                                         Of course as is quite typical for me I cannot just take a conversation at face value. In those spare moments driving down the road, or while working on a project at work, I let my mind drift into the nuance of a conversation. You will find that a person will say a phrase, or use a gesture that has significance at the time that may slip away at the moment, but later has a much more deeper meaning and reflection than at first was recognized. I was spending some drive time thinking about forgiveness, and how as a concept it  has became a part of the Human conscience. It also began to occur to me that forgiveness seems to become more important to people as they get older. Not necessarily old, but older. I wondered was it because of life, and experiences teach you that you are not indestructible ? Is it just a biological reaction to a change in hormones in the body as you get older ? What about the importance to being spiritual, not necessarily religious ( although in regards to the conversation with my sister and I we focused exclusively on the importance of God in a persons life ) but having a deeper sense of soul in regards to the fragility of life, is that a great motivator in ones life for the capacity for forgiveness ?
                                                                          All of these thoughts at what was by now 6:20 a.m. in the morning, and I was quite pleased with the conversation even more, what a great gift that was bestowed upon me first thing in the morning. A deep loving conversation all meant to steer an older brother on a path of virtue. Upon deeper reflection I began to realize that I needed to make an act of forgiveness myself, that it was imperative that I put into practice what I had been blessed to discover so early in the morning, so the following is my forgiveness to those  whom I perceive have committed wrong............


                                                                            I forgive a political class who have taken the property of productive individuals and given it to others without compensation in return, nor even gratitude. The political class cannot be held accountable for their actions, for after all it is we the people who must hold them responsible for their conduct, and thus far we have done a poor job of that. After all if a group of individuals continually put you in a position of authority year after year, and your behaviour was deplorable, yet no one was going to hold you accountable, well why not ? It is not the fault of the elite political class that we the people do not end their reckless behaviour. On the contrary it is the responsibility of the people to elect good representatives, on the other hand it is also our responsibility to keep irresponsible people out of office. So on my part I forgive you.
                                                                         I forgive any Bank Executive that makes a bad loan. After all the Federal Reserve exists to keep the banks in liquidity, and if a particular institution fails that is a bad thing, but when an entire industry fails knowing that it has over extended itself, that is not a failure of a banking system, but rather a failure on the part of the people who ........again elect irresponsible people into office who pass laws creating a monetary system that encourages loaning money that you know will not be repaid. How can I or any one else condemn an executive for doing what has been created for him to do, and will back those ill advised decisions with a bail out ? The very system exists for taking such risks, despite the dangers of doing so. Again on my part I forgive you.

                                                                         I forgive a President that has done everything in his power to ruin the worlds most productive people, and it's economy. After all candidate Obama was very forthright with what his goals were. Of course he sounded convincing that he was about change, precisely because it was his intent to create change. Many were not listening to the change he had in mind, they just wanted something different, and by our vote we got it. You cannot blame the President for thinking we wanted his brand of change, after all, this was a man who was connected to people in a way that no other candidate ever dreamed of, with the talent and foresight to access text messaging, and email, and the Internet, it must have been an intoxicating feeling that the vision he had, was what the American people were looking for. For that mistake of judgement on his part, I am more than willing to forgive him.

                                                                                 The essence of forgiveness is to cease to demand retribution, or punishment. I have no interest in seeking any form of punishment or retribution. However I do wish to seek a restoration to the idea of liberty. Free people engaging, or not engaging,...... going about there lives fulfilling there desires and dreams, seeking there fortune and happiness, to exist with others in a society where the idea of freedom is at the forefront of laws, and legislation. A restoration to an idea that a person has the right.......... to live their live......... for there own sake. I recognize that such an idea takes away the power that the political class  currently has over our lives and relegates them to nothing more than servants, and this would destroy the status they currently enjoy. It would be a transformation creating a rather uncomfortable arrangement in power in our society, and would thus reduce there status to that of nothing more than a citizen in a place of trust, no longer a place of privilege and exemption, but rather a short term occupancy for the whims of the people. When this transformation takes place it is my desire that those who have held office for the power and exemption can have the capacity for forgiveness as well, and have the capacity to refrain from a  bitterness toward  a people who want the Republic as it was founded well over two centuries ago.

                                                                       After all as the saying goes " to err is human, but to forgive is Divine " and in the spirit of forgiveness, let's change from the past and reclaim the heritage of liberty.