Letter on Healing Part One: Many read quickly without fully understanding, but those who grasped its meaning were truly forgiving.

Often, when we hear the word “wounds,” we immediately think of “physical wounds,” but there are also emotional wounds that everyone carries, depending on where they were born, where they grew up, and what they have experienced. Some have been raped, some have been deceived, some have lost loved ones, and some have inherited wounds from their parents (Transgenerational Trauma). Those who experience these wounds may feel a sense of self that is not true to who they are; they often struggle with self-hatred and difficulties in relationships (a wounded heart that has not healed can easily wound others). The journey to healing these wounds takes time, where a person is given space to acknowledge what has happened to them, to come to terms with it, and to confess or seek forgiveness.

Have you been wronged or hurt?

Have you ever been hurt? I believe that many people would answer “Yes,” as there are numerous reasons why people experience pain. Some are hurt by love, having invested their emotional energy only to face rejection. Others are wounded within their families due to unmet fundamental needs. Additionally, people can be hurt by societal judgments or various physical or mental health challenges.

It’s not just that, but the Bible also shows us people who have experienced emotional wounds. Here are some examples:

• “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads” (Psalm 22:8). This Psalm was about Jesus (Messianic Psalms) and spoke of the suffering He experienced because people mocked Him. Have you ever been mocked by a group of people? Have you forgiven them?
• “When we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within” (2 Corinthians 7:5). This is Paul’s testimony about his physical sufferings and fears in his heart. Have you ever been troubled by people you work with in ministry or at work? Did it hurt? Have you forgiven them?

Although this section is primarily for those who have been hurt, it is possible that you, the reader, may have also hurt someone. Have you asked for forgiveness? Have you forgiven the person you hurt?

Many read quickly without fully understanding:

• “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12, Holy Bible).
• “Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12, New Testament Bible).
• “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12, Word of God Bible).

Based on the different Bible translations [Holy, New Testament, Word of God], to understand the message Jesus wanted to convey, I believe we should use the New Testament Bible text. I am confident that this prayer that Jesus taught His disciples is known to many and is often used in their prayers.

Let me repeat this prayer in capital letters: FORGIVE US OUR SINS (GOD, FORGIVE MY SINS), AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US (FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE FORGIVEN SOMEONE WHO WRONGED ME).”

Have you forgiven the person who wronged you? If God were to forgive you as you forgive those who have wronged you, would you feel at peace? (Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us). Perhaps we are together understanding what God wanted to tell us. After this, it might be possible that your heart says: “Oh God, do not forgive me as I forgive those who wronged me, because I have given them incomplete forgiveness (not from the heart).

Conclusion:

Forgiving does not only free the one who wronged but also the one who was wronged. The late Father Obard Rugirangoga, a well-known figure in reconciliation in Rwanda, illustrated forgiveness with these words: “The one who carries a burden suffers more than the one who is burdened.” He emphasized that the one who is burdened is the wrongdoer, while the one who carries the burden is the victim. Thus, if you do not forgive and you have been wronged, you are the one who suffers because you are carrying the burden of the wrongdoing.

In conclusion, I remind you that in Jesus we find complete rest because “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1) and He stands and says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32), for this is how you too will be forgiven.