“A Privilege Worth a Hard Earning” by Henry Ellison
It is the hardest task, the highest end,
Of all true wisdom, rightly understood,
To see the Ill, yet not o’erlook the Good,
Nor let the Ill beyond itself extend,
Nor o’er the sunny side its shadows send
Beyond its own intrinsic magnitude,
As mountains cast their shadows far, and brood
At distance, and their own real bulk transcend.
’T is hard to school the heart to be, in spite
Of injury and envy, generous still;
In seeing Good alone to take delight,
And to forget, or to forgive, the Ill:
And he who can do this, has still a right
To think godlike of man, and must, and will.
Dealing effectively with the mixtures in your circumstances and in those with whom you associate, either intimately or distantly, is one of the great challenges of living. It is unfortunately far too easy to let the ill overshadow the good and precedent to snuff out possibility. Because of this, few on earth have managed to find safe passage for their inner godliness through their mortal coil on a consistent basis.
The heart, as Ellison so deftly suggests, must be schooled to this end. As innocence is lost to injury and tragedy in the course of living, there is great risk of its hardening due to a lack of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the master teacher of the heart; it is the harbinger of healing and carries with it the promise of compassion.
Learn to forgive and you will be relieved of the constant irritation caused by the ills in your world. The ills themselves may persist, but your attention will shift to the good that you may have otherwise overlooked.
Gregory Hake 
If ever we review the accomplishment of a “Hard thing” in hindsight what made it “Hard” was our acceptance of the illusion. The mind is a powerful ally or foe if misused.
A mind reigned by a pure heart, the possibilities are endless.
We still feel deeply the ripple effect of what the one known as Jesus did on earth while present, some 2 thousand years ago.
His command was pure and simple “Follow me” as was his promise “And thou shalt surely know”. Clear concise instruction of what was, and still is possible for ALL, which was
stated over and over again was ” The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand”
Where? come again? no, not here, not possible…says the impure heart.
Forgiveness, well that’s for saints, and others, surely not for me, I would like to get some
HOGWASH, the whole lot of it!!!!
It’s High time we end it. In ourselves, Forgiveness is not a selective process, well he deserves it, she doesn’t, and look at the way so-and so carries himself…so arrogant, I hope he gets what he deserves….
WHEN WILL WE LEARN, that those, and every precious one we come in contact with, regardless of age, colour, creed, regardless of what they’ve done or not done NEED an OVERABUNDANCE of FORGIVENESS. How else will the change necessary occur?
CLEARLY we cannot simply forgive ourselves, and be done with it.
As we give so also shall we receive. To receive forgiveness for oneself, one must first forgive others deeply, freeing them from themselves.
Hence, “Father Forgive them for they know not what they do.” In their self-centred stupor people are their own worst enemies, especially in this regard. For inasmuch as they desire forgiveness, they are unwilling to forgive, consistently. Or they are willing to forgive on a forgiveness for trade basis, because the circumstance dictates some kind of egotistical benefit, especially if they are noticed by others putting on the forgiveness show. Well, have we really become so petty, unkind, selfish…oh and on that point, selfishness has a reverse effect, if we haven’t noticed. For in the hardened state of selfishness, that is where the devil of ones own mind reigns down destruction, where? In and all around oneself.
Were we truly self-concerned, forgiveness would be the most beneficial course of action and remedy for all the ills we suffer, for it would set us free, from the whole lot.
But how?
Well, Since our God, is the God of LOVE and it is His concern that forgiveness be had by all.
And since we are His crowning creation, the part of creation through which He would Love the opportunity to do the Works, it is up to us, that His Love be known, by and through the liberal application of forgiveness, moment by moment day by day. Not becoming a door mat, letting others take advantage, but lifting ones heart to the point that it is free of the concern, one way or the other as to whether or not they receive it.
Forgiveness 24-7-365 until the world returns to the natural 360.
Let us end the wobble we’ve created, end the sickness and suffering.
We’ve seen what one could do, what if 100 actually got it…well I’ll leave that to your imagination, Love to you all.
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Your words are in sync with my psalm meditation today.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither I flee from thy presence?
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee…
Whether we cast shadows upon ourself through focusing on our ills that darken our world there is still the reality that makes for light that is always present whether we recognize or acknowledge it or not. To realize that this reality is always present opens the door for the passage of our divine light through our mortal coil showing brightening possibilities at hand.
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Thanks, Gregg, always a great reminder. Here are a couple of quotes I love on forgiveness:
“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Jesus Christ
“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” Gautama Buddha
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The inability to forgive is rooted, at least partially, in a conviction of limited personal value. We spite ourselves through smallness of attitude toward our fellows. Learning to forgive entails venturing forth from the small refuges that have been constructed, often of judgment, hurt and envy. It takes something to acknowledge that generosity won’t kill us and that justice will work out its own pathways without the assistance of our inner lawyers and judges weighing in on every detail!
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Resentment, judgement, holding a grudge – these are all the evidence of a lack of forgiveness and result in a hardened heart. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the baggage of these unsuccessful approaches to life. If we don’t forgive, we live in chains. If we do forgive, we are free to let go of experiences and begin to live free and clear.
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Wonderful consideration. It is such a habit to lament ones ills and allow them to extend beyond themselves, and in so doing we just add to the chaos of the world. How much more creative, as you and Henry Ellison suggest to forgive, to labor tirelessly at the art of forgiveness, that all our futures may be changed.
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Forgiveness is the salve on wounded human hearts, a healing ointment divine in nature. The ill in either circumstance or other people pales in the light of forgiveness , the truth of this is known personally as the heart becomes a vessel for this radiant expression. We can be certain that as we truly align ourselves in this pattern, no one around us will be left in a cold place, in our presence, allowing a deeper connection with others, love evident in expression. A true gauge for each of us to measure back the quality of our hearts is to look with truth upon our expression and the response by others. Thanks so much!
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Forgiveness releases the giver and the receiver alike. It prepares the heart to receive wisdom from the Creator. The precedent for complete forgiveness is firmly established on Earth but we must give it in order to appreciate how much we have been forgiven. Wonderful post!
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Oh, to be able to forgive the perceived wrongs done to us by others! therein lies one of the greatest difficulties that humankind faces here on earth. A wise man was speaking of this one day, and said that if we can remember the precious experiences that we have had with someone else, only to stop and allow ourselves to do that, we can become liberated in soul. Seeing again all of the magic of wonderful things shared, instead of focusing on another’s mistake in behavior or word, that the forgiveness would be so much easier. But instead of doing this, we only will allow ourselves to see the mistake, and that seeing drives distance between great companions! and as the time goes by, the separation becomes so vast that it can no longer be closed again! Never are we to lose the value of a companion because of a heart that can not forgive!
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