FORGIVENESS
Prepare yourself, because this one's a monster. Because I love you so much, I've broken it down into topics for easier digestion, thus:
Why do we forgive?
This is a tricksy one. I mean, "because God said so" is a bit obvious. But why did he say so? It's a child's question, but one we don't ask frequently enough. (Certainly, there are things that I have to, in the end, leave at "because God says so," but I think it's valuable for our own growth, understanding, and faith if we try to understand why God requires of us the things that he does.) The answer I've come up with has 3 parts.First: Because we have been forgiven. This is the obvious one, based on Jesus' parable of the unmerciful servant.
Second: For our own health and salvation. Selfish! According to a 2004 article by Jordana Lewis and Jerry Adler of Newsweek, research on being unforgiving shows that holding a grudge can lead to "increased blood pressure and hormonal changes -- linked to cardiovascular disease, immune suppression and, possibly, impaired neurological function and memory." This also has a parallel in the Matthew: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Third: Because other people are people. One of my favorite C. S. Lewis quotes (and one that continually reminds me how far I have to go in my journey) deals with this, peripherally.
