Insight of Science
in Forgiveness
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoned
iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he
retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy; Mic.7:18.
And forgive
us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is
the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
For if ye forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses;
Matt. 6: 12-15.
Strong's Greek: 859. ἄφεσις (aphesis) -- Forgiveness, release, remission
Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages.[i]
Forgiveness involves imagining the perspective of the one who offended us and actively letting go of the painful association between them and our inner man and letting go of any resentment or bitterness. This is good for our soul and helps us to recover from the painful experiences. The neural pathways that exercises in the process of forgiveness, brings much goodness in our mental well-being.
If God delights in mercy, then why do I feel that He can’t have mercy on me? In such cases, we should trust God and not our feelings. “Whatever despair may whisper or doubt may suggest, one text of Scripture is worth fifty fears and doubts, or fifty thousand either.… All objections to the delight of God in mercy are but illusions of your brain, or delusions of your heart.” (Spurgeon)
God loves the sinners which is all of us and He extends His mercy to sinners by forgiving us, and keeping us closer to His bosom of tender mercies. This forgiveness God wanted us to extend to our neighbours, when they sin against us. When we refuse to forgive our offenders this is like choosing our own destruction, and we can easily live in that illusion of our brain, and delusions of our heart. Heart and brain has a tremendous connection, and this is like living behind iron bars, and building citadels in our brain. The worse thing is when we cannot extend that mercy we received from Him towards our offenders. We often heard of these words: To err is human; to forgive, divine.
Insight of science on forgiveness
[Researchers have studied forgiveness and have found that the
tendency to forgive is a trait linked with certain structural and metabolic
characteristics of the brain.
The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex is believed to play a role in
the ability to imagine the feelings of others. This low imaginative ability was
correlated with lower forgiveness.
The differing brain structural anatomy associated with a tendency
to forgive suggests that forgiveness could be a trait that people are born
with. The differences in metabolic brain activity associated with the
inclination to forgive may mean that this trait could be altered throughout
life. Influences may include life experiences with trustworthy people or with
betrayal, both of which can set the stage for how much a person tends to
forgive.
Another interesting finding is that a larger left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is associated with forgiveness. Dysfunction of this region is believed to cause depression, so it seems that the lack of depressive tendencies promotes forgiveness.][ii]
Neuroscience studies have shown repeatedly, when
we focus on good, our brains literally rewires itself to look for more good. This is called neuroplasticity.
This is not motivation but indeed science connected to our nervous system.
In brain studies of forgiveness, researchers find that forgiving activates structures and pathways in the brain that improve resilience and social connection more broadly, and empower you to step beyond painful experiences in an energized, motivated, and connected way.[iii]
Forgiveness, does not mean condoning or endorsing anything that was done that caused harm; nor reconciling or resuming any kind of meaningful social connection, without the other party asking for forgiveness. It does mean letting go of any bitterness or resentment we hold against the incident and the person.
Referring to Psalm 139, we understand that we are wired fearfully
and wonderfully.
For thou hast possessed my
reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I
am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my
soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from
thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of
the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being unperfect;
and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were
fashioned, when as yet there was none of them; Psa. 139: 13-16.
King David was a
shepherd, a special force soldier, a hero, a poet, and we also can say in some
aspects he was a scientist when he penned, almost like a trained biologist,
when he declared, “ I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
“The Psalmist had scarcely peered within the
veil which hides the nerves, sinews, and blood-vessels from common inspection;
the science of anatomy was quite unknown to him; and yet he had seen enough to
arouse his admiration of the work and his reverence for the Worker.” (Spurgeon)
Love and positivity literally reshape our brain, and it boosts growth,
memory, creativity, and emotional
resilience. When we ask God, who has wired us differently, He is able give us
the tender hearts to forgive our trespassers, and this is because His love is
poured out in our hearts beyond our imaginations. Then we come to the humble
realization, that we can forgive our offenders, because Christ is in us and He
is at work in our inner-being.
