Sirach 27:30-31

“Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the LORD’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.”

Imagine if our bodies did not have the power to physically heal; if every cut, bruise and blemish stayed with us forever. After just a few years of going through life with its inevitable injuries and accidents, we would all be monstrosities; unbearable to look at and unable to function. Thankfully, God has given our bodies this beautiful power of restoration. We are sometimes left with scars, and things take time to heal, but all in all, our ability to regenerate is truly miraculous.

Our ability to heal after spiritual and emotional wounds is just as wondrous, but it is a subtle and complicated process. In many ways, our bodies heal up on their own, needing minimal intervention from us much of the time. However, to heal from emotional wounds requires effort and intention on our part. Unlike our physical injuries, we must choose to be healed from our emotional wounds. In order to choose healing, we have to be able to forgive.

We can contrast the healing power of forgiveness with the poison of resentment. Forgiveness is the releasing of hurt, while resentment is clinging to hurt. Anger can be a natural and healthy reaction, but holding on to it is cancerous. When we choose to hold onto resentments, it is also choosing not to heal. Refusing to heal from our emotional wounds creates just as much suffering and ugliness as if our physical wounds never healed. In this way, forgiveness is just as much for ourselves as it is for other people.