by parnassus » Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:46 am
I chose the last option. I have no way of knowing of how I would behave in such a painful situation.
As a Christian, I would pray for the gift of forgiveness. Even if somebody murdered my own family, I wouldn't want them to murder my soul as well, and I know that anger and hatred can inflict terrible damage on a person. Anger is a natural response in a situation like that, but it is not a response to cultivate. I would try to tear it out of myself through my prayer, as however hard it might be I genuinely do believe that forgiveness is a gift to be offered to everybody.
It isn't easy for me to say that. I have a very close friend who suffered from horrible sexual abuse for years. It's left her in a lot of pain. Sometimes I have wished her rapist dead. Sometimes I've dreamed of torturing him myself - never quite killing him, but torturing him until he has tears and snot running down his face. These dreams have always left me feeling horrified at myself as well as horrified at him.
How could he do that? To a child? To a young, growing girl? To anyone? The questions baffle me. I'm angry because I love her. And because I love her, I want to forgive.
"This above all, to thine own self be true." - Polonius, Hamlet.