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To paraphrase a wise man, you can have one million “atta-boys” but one “oh-shit” can make all the “atta-boys” a distant memory…
I have been thinking a lot about the action of forgiveness. Wikipedia provides an exceptional definition:
Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, releases negative emotions such as vengefulness, with an increased ability to wish the offender well.
I looked up verses relating to forgiveness in religious text. Here are a few that resonated with me:
Bible – Ephesians 4:31-32, Luke – 6:27-28
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Quran – Surat Al Imran, 134, 136
…those who give in times of both ease and hardship, those who control their rage and pardon other peoples – Allah loves the good –doers.
Their recompense is forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever. How excellent is the reward of those who act!
Buddha
“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
“In a controversy, the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. “
I watched Bravo TV yesterday and witnessed all sorts of nefarious verbiage. I normally do not watch the women bashing women or black on black crime genre of “reality TV”. The participants in these melodramas are so caught up in their own victimization they have no room in their souls for empathy.
How do you live with yourself speaking so cruelly about people you are supposed to love? How is it so easy to forget all of the good times?
Sermon over – enjoy the Mixtape.
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Tags: forgiveness, generation x, mixtape, music
The Search for Generation X 