The truth that sets us free to forgive
A willingness to see ourselves and others through a spiritual lens opens the door to healing and harmony – even when division and resentment seem entrenched.
For some time, an individual’s presence in my life had brought to our family hatred and division instead of love and unity, and lies and backstabbing instead of truth and respect. Even a dear friend of many years turned against me because of the lies that had been told. The dark threads of this subtle, undermining evil seemed to run through every aspect of my life.
As a result, I found it very difficult to put into practice Jesus’ counsel “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Honestly, I just wanted this troublesome person out of my life and my thoughts.
Through my study and practice of Christian Science, however, I have come to see that no matter how impossible a happy outcome seems, there is always a solution. Christ Jesus promised, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
This problem turned me in earnest to my two favorite books: the Bible, and “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science. Science and Health says, “There is but one way to heaven, harmony, and Christ in divine Science shows us this way. It is to know no other reality – to have no other consciousness of life – than good, God and His reflection, and to rise superior to the so-called pain and pleasure of the senses” (p. 242).
As I prayed, my desire to be free of a troublesome person changed to a purer desire to be spiritually minded and to know the truth Jesus spoke of. In other words, to have only the consciousness of Life as God, good, and to see this individual as the entirely spiritual and good creation of God. It was the material belief of both good and evil as real in which I felt trapped. I could not seem to stop talking and thinking about the problem.
I asked a Christian Science practitioner to pray for me so I could find my freedom from these disturbing thoughts. She helped me see that the disturbing thoughts were not really my thoughts. All true thought comes from God and is good, and as His spiritual expression we reflect the divine Mind.
This conversation was just what I needed. I was able to detach the intrusive thoughts from my identity, and it wasn’t long before I could go about my days without even thinking about this person. However, this person was still very present in our lives, so I continued daily to consider what Christ, Truth, was unfolding to me about her and her relationship to God.
Then one day, the biblical instruction “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Mark 10:9) took on new meaning to me. God brings together that which belongs together and separates that which does not. This released me from the fear and belief that there was another power that could create or allow discord. In God’s loving hands everyone is blessed and in their right place.
Soon after, I learned that the individual would be coming to spend the weekend with our family. A wonderful thought came to me: “Nothing and nobody can stop me from loving.” I knew this must be a message from God because I felt that the room was filled with the peace of divine Love’s presence – the Love that does not require an object to love but just loves.
During our guest’s visit, peace and love reigned, and we had a harmonious weekend. We parted that day with no strife between us, and have not met again since that weekend nearly two decades ago.
Unforgiving thoughts still lurked. But as I continued to gain a deeper understanding of perfect God, and of each of us as made in Love’s spiritual image, I suddenly saw that while I had detached the bad thoughts from myself, I was still attaching evil to this individual. I hadn’t been recognizing only the reality of God, good. The material senses can present only the counterfeit of God’s spiritual and good creation. All that legitimately exists is God and His perfect, pure, righteous child.
I became convinced of this spiritual reality, and the unforgiving thoughts left for good.
Each of us can know the truth – and be free!
Adapted from an article published in the Sept. 25, 2023, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.