Forgiveness IV

Forgiveness Is Simple, But It Isn’t Easy  

James Dempsey
Image Credit: Huffington Post

Forgiveness is simple, bit isn’t Easy.

Ask me how I know.

I have been a writer for nearly 40 years now, and I have never had more difficulty writing a song or an article than I have writing THIS one. 

Remember in those old movies where there is a big pile of crumpled paper on the floor next to the writer’s desk.  Well, since I am writing this on a computer, that pile of crumpled paper is in my head. 

I have been working on this article in my head for months now, and I have many, many discarded word documents cluttering up my memories. 

Usually, when I write a song or a blog post I can either blurt it out in a few minutes, or maybe just a couple of short sessions.  Then I can post it or record it without tons of editing.   You see, I am not much of a re-write guy.  The subject of this blog is also one I am quite familiar with too.  It is on forgiveness. 

The day after the election I asked my spirit guides what “We the People” have to do to get over the sickness that 2016 and the recent election have manifested in our collective field.  The answer was simple.  They said that each of us must forgive those that voted differently than we did.  I have found out in recent months that, at least on my part, that doing this has not been easy at all. 

The US and the world are in turmoil.  The list of issues we must face in this ever changing world is endless.  The types of solutions being proposed and enacted by governments the world over have several things in common.  They are divisive, xenophobic, and often cruel. 

Most of 2016 and so far in 2017 the global discourse has been defined by this division.  The media and our governments have been using hate, rage, anger, and bigotry to distract our lower vibrations and to keep us in a reactionary mode so as to keep us from understanding just how much we have in common.  Being reactionary, being in a constantly changing state of fear, keeps us from being proactive and keeps us from planning or uniting with others. 

There are millions, even billions of us, who are becoming more and more Spiritually awakened every day.  Our governments know this, our media knows this.  Why do they use these tactics to keep us down? 

Divide and conquer is one of the oldest known military and economic strategies there is.  It is an effective strategy and has been for thousands of years, just look at history.  My guides have been telling me for months that more EASY money is made when exploiting the perceived divisions between us than it is from selling unity and love. 

Look at what our recent election has done.  It isn’t all bad by a long shot.  Many new grassroots organizations have sprouted up, almost overnight.  There are so many new groups that are dealing with a myriad of issues that surfaced during the 2016 election cycle.  There are literally hundreds of issues to address.  There is one overriding problem. 

Where do we start?  What is step one.?

I have been asking my guides these questions since early 2016.  The answer has always been the same. 

The first step to dealing with all of these issues is forgiveness. 

We can only close the gap between the right and left if we forgive those who voted differently from us.  As long as the gap exists it is exploitable by those at the helm of our media and our government.  Forgiveness is the key to releasing the rage and anger that our government and media like to create in us. 

Blame is fun.  Blame creates self righteous dopamine. 

Know this…playing the blame game is exactly what our government and media want us to do.  When we do this we make their mission so much easier.  They can sell us ideas, products, and internet memes that fit our easily identified demographic.  Fear is soooooo easy to sell, and they are really good at it. 

I have been struggling with this mightily.  I have been struggling when I read the comments on an article and thousands of folks are cheering to the high heavens as our rights are stripped from us.  Many white folks don’t seem to care that they are losing their hard won rights as long as they believe that brown people are losing more.  And that is what makes it hard for me to forgive them.  But I must do this.  I am working on it. 

Jesus said we should forgive our enemies.  What never gets explained in most religious instruction is “why.  ” Why indeed.  It really isn’t as if you are letting your enemy, perceived enemy, or transgressor off the hook anyway.  Karma should take care of that.  What you are really doing is letting YOURSELF off the hook of resentment now and in the future. 

Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die.  Why would you let your enemy, or those the media tells you are your enemies live in your head rent free.  Chances are that that these “enemies” aren’t thinking about YOU at ALL.  Forgiveness really isn’t about them at all, it’s about you.  Forgiveness is simple, but it isn’t easy. 

Forgiveness means “to untie” in Aramaic.  I have been all webbed up in many ways since mid 2016.  And this is how my government and media want me to be.  I know that being webbed up is not in my best interests moving forward.  Forgiveness is often a process that is rarely a one shot deal.  Resentments often need to be chipped away a little bit at a time.  Forgiveness, when practiced as a habit, can over time, set us free.  I am working on it.  It’s simple, not easy

Ho’oponopono. 

I’m sorry. Please forgive me.  Thank you.  I love you.