Reluctance to forgive is a consequence not only of unwillingness to let go of the ego juice of perceived injustice but also the illusion that others do not ‘deserve’ it. In reality, it is the forgiver and not the forgiven who benefits the most. The purpose of the example is to demonstrate that even the most severe conditions can be transcended, but only by an act of the will and the willingness to surrender the nursing of hatred and revenge.
One might ask how could such a saintly transformation even be possible, given the horrific circumstances on both sides, including imprisonment in POW camps, starvation, personal torture, gross cruelty, and carnage. In actuality, and psychologically, it really could not be done by the ego/mind at all because it lacks the necessary power when it is caught up in the energy field of hate… Therefore, the transformative source of power cannot originate from the mind or the personality called the personal ‘I’. The necessary power resides in the nonlinear quality of consciousness termed the ‘Will’, which alone can open the gates to the power necessary to dissolve the ego’s positionality.
By invitation, the Holy Spirit transforms comprehension by virtue of the presence of the healing power of Grace. What the ego cannot lift with all its might is like a feather to the Grace of God. As a consequence of the process of transformation, not only are the views of others transformed from hateful to benign, but the view of self is also transformed.”