Forgiveness is less about pretending something didn’t happen and faking being reconciled to someone that one despises. Rather, forgiveness is more about healing, or proactively looking to the source that has the power to heal. Quite often this means that we do not waste our time and energy focusing on sources that are unable to heal (the original offending party). Forgiveness is more about saying “I know you don’t have the power to heal me, so I am not going to focus on demanding justice or healing from you. Instead, I am going to look past you to a higher power, Jesus Christ, who has the power and the inclination to heal me. I am going to let go of my bitterness and hatred towards you – and act of grace – so that I might become a recipient of His tender mercy and healing powers, so that I might be lifted up and be made whole through His power and His grace.”