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[rva_jeremy]

There's a podcast I really enjoy called Philosophy Bites and they had a really interesting interview on the philosophy of forgiveness.  The interviewee provides a lot of thoughtful commentary on the character and nature of the act of forgiveness I'm not sure I previously appreciated.  It appears that there is a real sincerity involved, where one releases the one from censure while at the same time accepting the trespass.  

It is not the same thing, in other words, as simply forgetting the trespass or putting it out of mind.  That's a kind of shortcut that preserves the emotional resonance and resentful charge.  It is instead an acknowledgement, in a way, to restore the love and acceptance despite the trespass.  This involves the acceptance of the other as well as the full and undistorted acceptance of the perceived injured part of the self. My work with forgiveness has definitely yielded the insight that much of what pushes the trespasser away from us in our heart is our own inability to face our hurt and disappointment. So that's a facet of forgiveness that I'm working on right now--to understand these two viewpoints on an exchange as Creator-to-Creator and to ensure that no crumbs are left behind when that reality is grounded and absorbed.