HELLO MI NEIGHBOUR | Forgive and live!

HELLO MI neighbour! I think it has become necessary to revisit the topic of forgiveness today. We must get forgiveness right! We must save some lives. Like I said in the last article, ‘Forgiveness saves lives’! Most, if not all, the killings (reprisal and all) in Jamaica are a result of unforgiveness. Think a little deeper or do a little more research before you challenge me. If I am wrong, please forgive me. But ….

And forgive me quickly, lest the spirit of unforgiveness grow and fester in your heart and push you to do crazy things down the road. Happens every day. Dear neighbour, if someone hurts your fee a rope to hang us. Well, that thought is miles upon miles away from the truth.

Truth is, whenever we forgive others, we are freeing ourselves from the lethal rope of anger, resentment, and bitterness placed around our necks, even, by extenuating circumstances. Don’t bite the bait! Forgive and live!

GET EVEN

The offended person who is held captive by the spirit of unforgiveness will assiduously waste time and energy planning, plotting and devising inhumane ways to get even with the offender. When that mission is unfortunately accomplished, someone could be six feet six inches under ground and the other behind bars wasting away until the hour of his/her demise. Getting the picture?

But here is the picture I’d like to paint today; in response to the national concern and outcry regarding the current state of crime and violence in Jamaica, a group of us, Christians from various denominatilings in some way, shape or form, and you do not offer them forgiveness, you are only exacerbating the hurt. As the hurt becomes more intensified you could begin to lose self-control and end up making an ass of yourself at the first opportunity. How asinine! Hope you are assimilating these thoughts for good!

Forgiveness is not easy, mark you. The inability or reluctance to forgive an offender, stems from this very fact. Your colour, creed, status, profession or religious persuasion will not make you more capable of offering forgiveness.

The reluctance to forgive your neighbour, many times, stem from fear. And, yet we are expected to forgive many times in a day. More accurately put, we are expected to forgive everyone everytime they offend us! Some of us may be fearful of forgiving an offence because we foolishly think that we are offering the offenderons, having received inspiration from our “Eternal Father”, is planning to launch a public educational campaign called ‘Forgiveness Saves Lives’.

The long-term vision is of a Jamaica in which conflict is resolved through a commitment to compassionate understanding, mutual respect and forgiveness, in obedience and gratitude to God. There will be a preliminary launch of this initiative at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 15. Stand by.

It is our belief that this campaign will go a far way in helping to change our behaviour from one in which we seek reprisal, to one where forgiveness is the prime option, as a response to hurt caused by others and the prime means through which conflict can be resolved.

It is anticipated that this all-island campaign will receive the endorsement of the leadership of the country. We are seeking the full support of all businesses, organisations, church groups, the various agencies, the security forces and civil society to join this campaign.

We recognise that our ultimate success will only be possible if all segments of our society are involved. We will be, therefore, inviting your endorsement through your advertisements in the mass and social media and as a sponsor of our campaign messages. We are available to discuss our plan of action at your convenience.

Let us all join forces against violence in our land, through the application of FORGIVENESS!

I use this opportunity to appeal to the powers that be, to declare the month of November ‘Forgiveness Month’

WE ASK YOU AGAIN TO HELP US HELP A NEIGHBOUR WITH ITEMS BELOW:

Stove, bed, mattress, building materials, sewing machine, table, chairs, second-hand settee, etc.

To help, please call Silton Townsend @ 876 884-3866, or deposit in acct # 351 044 276 NCB. Alternatively, send donations to Hello Neighbour, C/o 53 Half-Way Tree Road, Kingston 10; Paypal/credit card: email: zicron22@yahoo.com. Contact email: helloneighbour@yahoo.com. Visit hellomineighbourja.blogspot.com. Townsend exclusively manages the collections and distributions mentioned in this column and is neither an employee nor agent of The Gleaner.