Forgiveness Revisited

A couple weeks ago I read Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. I'm sure most have read this book by now. The story is beautiful, albeit tragic and depressing at times. The story is ultimately about hope, forgiveness, and redemption. Towards the very end of the story, the narrator comes a conclusion about forgiveness that really stood out to me since I read this line only days after writing my blog about forgiveness.

The narrator concludes:

"I wondered if that's how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."

This simple definition of forgiveness really resonated with me. When I read that line it made perfect sense to me because that is how I identify forgiveness in my own life. After reflection, I realized that I know I've forgiven someone when the pain silently fades away. I believe that forgiveness cannot just be granted immediately like "the fanfare of epiphany;" a prayer to God will not miraculously usher in a wave of forgiveness (psh. not at all.) I like that there is no hint that the hurt is ever forgotten. The pain subsides, fades to the background, and is replaced with feelings of indifference or replaced with positive feelings towards other people.

After my previous reflections on forgiveness, I believe that I side with Hosseini's narrator Amir's definition of this sometimes elusive word/action/emotion known as forgiveness. It takes time for healing and thus forgiveness, but eventually the pain will slip "away unnannounced in the middle of the night."