English Original
For years, Tom Anderson's life was withered by the memory of his role in a fraternity adventure that led to a classmate's death. His marriage ended after six years. Then, his life turned around: his wife Betty returned, and he secured a good position. He later revealed the catalyst for this change.
"I used to think, 'Nothing can undo what I have done.' The guilt would halt me mid-smile or handshake and built a wall between my wife and me," Tom said.
Then came an unexpected visit from the person he dreaded most—the mother of the deceased classmate. "Years ago," she said, "through prayer, I found it in my heart to forgive you. Betty forgave you. So did your friends and employers." She paused, then said sternly, "You are the one person who hasn't forgiven Tom Anderson. Who do you think you are to stand out against the people of this town and the Lord Almighty?"
"I looked into her eyes," Tom recalled, "and found a kind of permission to be the person I might have been if her son had lived. For the first time in my adult life, I felt worthy to love and be loved."
It is only through forgiving our mistakes that we gain the freedom to learn from experience. However, forgiving our shortcomings does not mean denying them. On the contrary, it means facing them honestly and realistically.
Can one be all-forgiving and still be human? A scientist I know was a slave laborer in Germany for four years. His parents were killed by Nazi bullies; his siblings were sent to the gas chambers. He has every reason to hate, yet he radiates a love for life that touches everyone he meets.
He explained: "In the beginning, I was filled with hatred. Then I realized that in hating, I had become my own enemy. Unless you forgive, you cannot love. And without love, life has no meaning."
Forgiveness is truly the saving grace.
中文翻译
多年来，汤姆·安德森的生活因一段记忆而枯萎：他曾参与一次兄弟会的冒险，导致一名同学死亡。六年后，他的婚姻破裂。然而，他的生活后来发生了转变：妻子贝蒂回到了他身边，他也获得了一份好工作。他后来透露了改变的契机。
“我曾以为，‘我做过的事无法挽回。’负罪感会让我在微笑或握手时突然僵住，并在我和妻子之间筑起一堵墙，”汤姆说。
随后，他最害怕见到的人意外来访——那位去世同学的母亲。“多年前，”她说，“通过祈祷，我在心中原谅了你。贝蒂原谅了你。你的朋友和雇主们也原谅了你。”她停顿了一下，然后严厉地说：“你是唯一一个没有原谅汤姆·安德森的人。你以为你是谁，竟要对抗全镇的人和全能的上帝？”
“我望着她的眼睛，”汤姆回忆道，“仿佛得到了某种许可，可以成为如果她儿子还活着我本可能成为的那个人。成年后，我第一次感到自己值得去爱，也值得被爱。”
只有宽恕自己的错误，我们才能获得从经验中学习的自由。然而，宽恕自身的缺点并不意味着否认它们的存在。恰恰相反，它意味着诚实、现实地去面对它们。
一个人能否完全宽恕，同时仍保有人性？我认识的一位科学家曾在德国做了四年奴工。他的父母被纳粹暴徒杀害；他的兄弟姐妹被送进了毒气室。他完全有理由去仇恨，但他却充满了对生命的热爱，并将这份爱传递给他认识的每一个人。
他解释道：“起初，我心中充满仇恨。后来我意识到，在仇恨中，我成了自己的敌人。除非你学会宽恕，否则你无法去爱。而没有爱，生命就毫无意义。”
宽恕，确实是救赎的力量。