Monday, April 18, 2011  What is Forgiveness?  Say you’re
standing in line at the Post office and someone accidentally
steps on your toe. They quickly move back and say “Sorry!” and
you say “No problem”. It’s over and quickly forgotten. But what
if they say “Sorry!” and then continue to stand on your toe? Are
you still going to say No problem?  What exactly is
forgiveness?  Is it condoning the other person’s behavior?
Denying your own pain so another person can feel better? 
Letting another off the hook, and then carrying their shame for
them? Is it as simple as letting go of a balloon that floats
away into the atmosphere? I think it is much more complex than
that.  Forgiveness is a huge buzzword these days. Everyone says
you should do it. Oprah says you should do it. Doctors say
you’ll be healthier if you do it. Jesus did it on the cross.
Stanford University even has a “Forgiveness Project”, where
researchers say it is a skill that can be learned, a decision
you simply make. But I don’t see it as a decision a