The Bridge Between Shores: Forgiveness as the Pathway to Reconciliation (Forgiveness, Empathy)
Scripture: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44-45 KJV) understanding another’s pain, letting go of resentment, inner peace.
Keywords: forgiveness, reconciliation, bridges, bible verses, scriptures, perspective shift, understanding another’s pain, letting go of resentment, inner peace, jesus christ, eprayer circle, eprayercircle, free bible lessons. free online bible lessons
Alt: Forgiveness to reconciliation
Imagine two islands, separated by a wide, choppy sea. On one side, you stand, hurt and angry, waves of resentment crashing against your heart. On the other, the person who wounded you, perhaps lost in their storm of fear or pain. How do you reach each other? How do you mend the broken shores and find peace?
The answer, surprisingly, lies not in blaming or punishing the other, but in building a bridge – the bridge of forgiveness. It’s a radical concept, yes, but hear me out.
Forgiveness isn’t about condoning what the other did. It’s not about saying “everything’s okay.” It’s about shifting your perspective. Imagine stepping into the other person’s shoes for a moment. What might be the storm raging within them that led them to act the way they did? Maybe they’re battling their demons, fear, or pain. Maybe they don’t even realize how their actions hurt you.
Seeing things from their eyes doesn’t erase the hurt, but it can crack open the dam of resentment. Understanding doesn’t excuse it, but it can pave the way for empathy. And empathy, that gentle bridge-builder, can start to mend the torn shores.
Think of forgiveness as letting go of a heavy rock you’ve been carrying around. It takes effort, but with each step, the burden gets lighter. You’re not lifting the rock for the other person; you’re doing it for yourself, to free yourself from the pain of holding onto anger.
Remember, Jesus himself said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44-45). He knew that holding onto hatred hurts us more than it hurts the other person.
Building the bridge of forgiveness may take time and effort. It might be shaky at first, a rickety structure of “I understand” and “maybe there’s another side.” But with each conversation, and each act of kindness, the bridge grows stronger. And who knows, one day, you might meet each other in the middle, two souls finding peace and reconciliation on the shores of empathy and understanding.
So, next time someone hurts you, take a deep breath. Look for the bridge, not the walls. Choose forgiveness, not resentment. It may be the most liberating journey you’ll ever take.
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CALL TO SALVATION:
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Romans 10:9-10 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.
John 3:5-6 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is the Spirit. (Get Baptized)
Below is a hymn in the public domain: No Not One This link will take you to an earlier post of ePrayer Circle that contains full lyrics and free piano music so that you can get your praise on.
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