The Art of Forgiveness

by Abigail Knowles Wolfe (BPRW)

Forgiveness can be understood in a number of ways. We have a saying in English “forgive and forget” yet most situations that present themselves in daily life are not so simple. Biblical “forgiveness” is not a charge to become a doormat at the will of those who would take advantage. Just because the erring party seeks and often receives forgiveness does not mean that absolution for depraved acts is automatically granted.

Take the current situation in Uganda for example. One of the world’s most terrifying rebel groups, the Lord’s Resistance Army or LRA, led by fanatic Joseph Kony has been terrorizing Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan for the better part of three decades. The group has murdered men, women and children in crimes against humanity and is most infamous for recruiting and training child soldiers. Many African Americans may have read accounts of east African “night commuters” or children between the ages of 3 – 17 who walk all night from their villages to safe houses in the larger cities to avoid night raids from the LRA who are hoping to capture them and force them into guerrilla service. Our hearts go out to these children who deserve the safety and peace of their own homes at night.

International news reports coming from trusted media sources Al Jazeera, Europe Media Monitor (EMM), Reuters Alert Net and Time magazine have recently reported on the LRA’s current tour of Uganda, begging forgiveness from Ugandan victims lucky enough to survive their past attacks. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has brought charges against the LRA after actively assisting the government of Uganda in arresting LRA members. However, the Ugandan government and many local citizens are ready to offer their forgiveness to the LRA, based on traditional African forgiveness rituals much to the chagrin of the ICC. Uganda is ready for peace yet is the rest of the world ready to let these war criminals go without a trial? Forgiveness is one thing, yet the suffering of men, women and children over the better part of 30 years isn’t going to be neatly swept under the rug. The citizens of Uganda may offer self-sacrificing forgiveness yet the world at large must insist on accountability in one form or another.