“We forgive, we mortify our resentment; a week later some chain of thought carries us back to the original offence and we discover the old resentment blazing away as if nothing had been done about it at all. We need to forgive our brother seventy times seven not only for 490 offences but for one offence. ”
Explore This Quote Further
Analysis
In this quote by C.S. Lewis, he speaks about the difficulty in truly forgiving someone. He emphasizes that forgiveness is not a one-time act, but rather a constant process. Lewis uses the example of forgiving someone for the same offense multiple times to illustrate the ongoing struggle of letting go of resentment. This quote highlights the internal battle we face in truly forgiving others and emphasizes the importance of continuing to forgive, even when it is challenging. Lewis suggests that forgiveness is not just about the act of letting go of past wrongs, but about actively choosing to release resentment each time it resurfaces.
Understanding Forgiveness in a Modern Context
In this quote by C.S. Lewis, he highlights the complexity of forgiveness and the challenges that come with truly letting go of resentment. In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, forgiveness can be even more difficult to achieve and maintain. With the constant bombardment of information and interactions, it is easy for old resentments to resurface and for grudges to linger. Lewis's words serve as a reminder of the importance of constantly practicing forgiveness and letting go of past grievances.
Forgiveness in Practice
C.S. Lewis eloquently captures the struggle of forgiving others in his quote. Regardless of how many times we try to forgive someone, it can be challenging to let go of our resentment. Lewis emphasizes the importance of continually forgiving others, even for the same offense, in order to truly move past the hurt.
Reflection Questions
Reflecting on forgiveness and the idea of forgiving someone multiple times for the same offense can be a challenging concept to grasp. Consider the following questions to deepen your understanding and reflection on this quote by C.S. Lewis:
- Have you ever experienced holding onto resentment or anger towards someone even after trying to forgive them?
- What do you think it means to forgive someone seventy times seven times for one offense?
- How can you apply the idea of continual forgiveness in your relationships and daily interactions with others?
- How does holding onto resentment impact your own mental and emotional well-being?
- In what ways can practicing forgiveness improve your relationships and overall sense of peace and inner healing?
Similar quotes
“And there, right in the middle of it, I find 'Forgive us our sins as we forgive those that sin against us.' There is no slightest suggestion that we are offered forgiveness on any other terms. It is made perfectly clear that if we do not forgive we shall not be forgiven.”
“Jesus tells Peter to forgive seventy times seven times, not because the person we forgive will it that many times, but because resentment can have such a grip on our hearts that we need to forgive that often for our own healing.”
“We may be sure that the characteristic blindness of the twentieth century - the blindness about which posterity will ask, "But how could they have thought that?" - lies where we have never suspected it... None of us can fully escape this blindness, but we shall certainly increase it, and weaken our guard against it, if we read only modern books. Where they are true they will give us truths which we half knew already. Where they are false they will aggravate the error with which we are already dangerously ill. The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books.”
“Now we cannot...discover our failure to keep God's law except by trying our very hardest (and then failing). Unless we really try, whatever we say there will always be at the back of our minds the idea that if we try harder next time we shall succeed in being completely good. Thus, in one sense, the road back to God is a road of moral effort, of trying harder and harder. But in another sense it is not trying that is ever going to bring us home. All this trying leads up to the vital moment at which you turn to God and say, "You must do this. I can't.”
“If we really want to learn how to forgive, perhaps we had better start with something easier than the Gestapo.”
“Something inside us, the feeling of resentment, the feeling that wants to get one's own back, must be simply killed. I do not mean that anyone can decide this moment that he will never feel it anymore. That is not how things happen. I mean that every time it bobs its head up, day after day, year after year, all our lives long, we must hit it on the head. It is hard work, but the attempt is not impossible.”