Bury The Hatchet Pt. 1

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” - Ephesians 4:31-32  
 
Six years ago, at an art exhibit in the Netherlands stood the profiles and portraits of these beautiful people from the Central African Nation of Rwanda. The exhibit told their stories and captured the detailed images taken by photographer Pieter Hugo. What was most remarkable about these incredible portraits were the stories behind the two people captured in each photo, and the journey that brought their lives together. In each photo was a survivor of one of the worst genocides known to humankind and the direct perpetrator who committed the crime. In each photo, there were pictures of the raped and the rapist, one whose family was killed and their killer, the abused and the abuser.
 
The stories are horrifying and riveting, and one can only imagine the pain, sadness, and sorrow these survivors felt and continue to feel over 25 years after the genocide. But the photos, which were part of a collection called “Portraits of Reconciliation,” were taken as a part of a program designed to explore the theme of forgiveness and to unpack the journey two people go through to request pardon on the one side, and to extend forgiveness on the other side for acts that are inhumane and unimaginable.
 
I’ll never forget the words of one of the victims whose brother was killed. He said, “When someone is full of anger, he can lose his mind. But when I granted forgiveness, I felt my mind at rest.” Forgiveness, which means to release, to dismiss, or to let go, is the required remedy for a heart that has been made cold and callous by the hurts, the heartaches, and the disappointments of life.  
 
You might know what it’s like to have someone hurt you, betray you, cheat on your, lie to you, talk about you, and to find your heart taken over by bitterness. But in the words of the Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy, “Let us forgive each other—only then will we live in peace.” If you want to find peace, forgive those who have wronged you. Not only for their sake, but especially for yours.