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Demanding Forgiveness. |
Teach me to behold myself in others. As I love to forgive myself
my own faults and correct myself silently, so do Thou teach me to
forgive others, and quietly suggest that they correct their faults,
if they wish it so.
Through the kindly strength of tolerance, instead of the weak brutality
of force, let me lead all stumbling and stubborn ones unto Thee.
Teach me to see that Thy light shines equally on good, diamond-bright
souls and bad, coal-black beings. Guide Thou my understanding and
powers, so that I may turn evil, dark minds into sparkling seers—that
they may fully reflect Thine impartial wisdom rays.
Thou didst wipe away the soot of indifference which covered my soul,
and it shines with Thy light. I know now that I am Thy child. Likewise,
enable me to wash all souls with love, and to behold even the darkest
souls as Thy children, as my very own—as my sleeping brothers.
Thy light stays hidden even in the weakest gloom-shrouded soul and
indefinitely waits to be revealed and appreciated through the power
of self-effort-found-good-company. Likewise, soften me with such
patience that I shall ever wait and stand ready to help all truth-forsaken
souls when they wish to awake.
As even to the condemned murderer Thou dost give fresh chances to
be better, in a new, unrecognizable body and in another environment
on the tracts of a new incarnation, so teach us to shelter the world-forsaken
wrong-doer in the haven of our forgiveness. O, Spirit, may our love's
sunshine, received from Thee, dispel the chill in his error-frozen
soul!
Thou art eagerly waiting to reveal Thyself whenever the world wants
to emerge from the sea of wrong-doing. Thy silence before an error-steeped
world proves Thy patience and ever-ready forgiveness. Teach us not
to deny our sweetness of help to those who bitterly try us with
cruel wounds; but, without any self-expectation whatsoever, teach
us to help others to help themselves, so that we may still learn
to forgive, even though they should turn against us when we cease
to be able to help them.
Teach us to forgive others who offend us most, inwardly first, then
outwardly. Bless us, that we may scatter the fragrance of forgiveness,
and impart sweet speech for sour exclamations, love for hatred,
kindness for anger, and good for injury. Awaken us, that we may
feel that even the most night-black soul is only an error-dreaming
immortal. With the divinity of our forgiveness, inspire us to awaken
him to the consciousness of his celestial sonhood, potential purity,
and immortality.
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