The Book of Revelations
Verse 2: Forgiveness
Author's Note: Thanks so much for the positive feedback, I am grateful for the support. I hope you guys like this segment, please please please enjoy!
Disclaimer: Not mine. tear, tear
Steven Hyde, 1977Bud and Edna weren't really your church going types so in my childhood I missed out on a lot of that "love your neighbor" and "turn the other cheek" crap. The first time I really heard about forgiveness was probably the first time Kitty ever dragged me to church, and I remember listening to it thinking forgiveness was for dillholes. I had concluded that since the majority of the time the people who screw you over are friends or family, and generally are fully aware that they are about to screw you, that they don't deserve to be forgiven because obviously they must not really care that much about you. Forgiveness was for sissies who weren't strong enough to cut people off or for morons who didn't realize what was going on, and I was not a moron or a sissy. I just thought if someone hurt me, like Bud did when he ran out when I was eight, or like Edna did when she left with a trucker that last time, well then I should just move on, I was better off without them. Forgiveness never came in to play.
But when I went after Donna, relentlessly, even though I knew Forman was there first, even though I knew he was my best friend and he liked even loved her, well, I knew what I was doing was shitty, but I did it anyway. I rationalized it that Eric had a family who loved him, he had all sorts of opportunities, he had lots of friends, and with all that he didn't need to have Donna's love too. So I went ahead, with blinders on, and tried to steal my best friends girl. And I realized that it was when I realized that sometimes we hurt people we care about.
Forman forgave me though. With little production or effort. Other than the tiny theft incident, which was mostly the she-devil Laurie's doing, Eric never so much as hinted that he thought any differently about me. I asked him once how he forgave me so easily, and he told me that though he loved Donna more than he could ever show, I was his best friend, really like his brother, so that meant he loved me too and that's why you forgive people.
Forman taught me about forgiveness. You don't forgive because someone deserves it, because forgiveness isn't really about how much or little the offender cares about you. You forgive because you care about the offender. Andthat's my revelation. Forgiveness doesn't seem to me to be just for morons and sissies anymore.