Monday 27 July 2015

Le Gach Dea-ghuí



One day someone steals your bicycle, eats your 

lunch, insults you and trips you on the stairs.


After a few days of this you  call that person a worm

and a dog and what's worse maybe even say their 

mother wears army boots.


But then you start to feel uncomfortable in your 

skin so even though you consider the sins of the 

other far greater than yours you say, "I'm sorry I 

called you worm and dog and your mother 

actually wears nice shoes."


And surprise of surprises you find being good with 

the other person isn't important, being good with 

yourself is what matters.


Is this feeling of being back on an even keel 

forgiveness?


My churchy understanding is that forgiveness means 

that you never again think of what was said and 

done and like a frigging saint you pick up with the 

person as if it never happened.


Fine if your name is Mother Theresa.


It seems to me right now that it isn't churchy

forgiveness that is called for, rather it is

being right with your God(s), loving and 

respecting your own soul and being able to 

gently let the other person go.




One translation of the Irish 'le gach dea-ghuí' is 

"go with prayers".


***

3 comments:

  1. I'm not Mother Theresa, for sure! Hahaha... I try my best to be a decent person but I can't always just pick up with someone I had conflict with as if it never happened. Sometimes it's best to just move on and let the person go.

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  2. I agree -- "forgiveness" is all about truly letting go and that is a personal, internal process. It's got nothing to do with the other person. I think the traditional Christian definition completely obscures that.

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  3. The apology is a tradition I think this generation has mostly lost. As an old foogy from the past, the apology was engrained as part of 'respect' for others and the right arm of personal responsibility for our actions and words. I still practice the tradition and regularly apologize. But I haven't had an apology come my way in years. I guess no one feels the need to thinking they are all forgiven already. Life is sure strange sometimes. People are strange. But mostly afraid of themselves, a condition that is mirrored on others. If we could just learn to drop the curtain, the thin veil and really see each other. Happy Thanksgiving Francie! Best - ME

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