A Small Story About Forgiveness

In the beginning, just before the physical universe in which we live was created
, God called all the spirits (souls) together and told them that they would soon
be going into the new world. It was made just for them so that they could exper
ience and feel things that weren't possible in the Absolute, where unspeakable j
oy and unconditional love for all made us ONE. However, in the Absolute, all we
could do was know things. It was not possible to experience or feel them, becaus
e there were no opposites or conflicts in that blissful place.
God explained that in order to feel and experience things, everything in the phy
sical universe had to have an opposite. So, for joy there was sadness, for love
there was fear, for health there was sickness, for light there was darkness, for
emotional and physical hurt there was forgiveness, for male there was female, a
nd so on.
In the Absolute, we knew of these things, but that wasn't enough. What we really
wanted was to go beyond the knowingness. We wanted to experience and feel what
we knew and so did God, through us.
God stood before all the assembled spirits and described the different emotions
that could be experienced in the new universe. One of the spirits ran forward an
d said "There is so much to choose from, but what I'd really like to experience
and feel is forgiveness." God smiled and said that was a wonderful choice.
God then explained to the eager spirit that forgiveness could not be experienced
or felt unless there was at least one other spirit involved. Forgiveness, or an
y other emotion, could not be experienced alone. There had to be at least two sp
irits involved in such a drama. No sooner did God say this when another spirit r
an forward excitedly and said "I'll be the other person...I'll volunteer!"
God then explained to the two spirits that in order for forgiveness to occur one
spirit would have to hurt the other spirit in some way, whether it be physicall
y, emotionally or both. This would cause pain, suffering, and anger. That would
be the only way forgiveness of one for the other could be felt or experienced.
The first spirit said it still wanted to experience forgiveness, because uncondi
tional love for another was the highest choice one could make and the grandest f
eeling one could experience. God smiled warmly at both of them.
The other spirit looked at his friend and said "I will be the one who hurts you.
But, when I do, try to remember that I'm doing this out of unconditional love f
or you...so that you may experience and feel compassion, love, and forgiveness f
or me."
Credit: Nicholas F. Schmidt.
Source: Neale Donald Walsch.