Trust – a simple word to speak, yet the most challenging word to
regain once lost. It is my sincere belief that we all desire to trust those
around us. It is most similar to believing that all people are inherently good.
When we look at the philosophical and religious aspects of inherent goodness,
we find a spectrum of takes on the issue. Philosophically speaking, the
structure of society weighs on the idea that most men/women do not want to harm
their neighbor; yet society creates and enforces laws to maintain civility (see Socrates and Plato).
Religiously, the Bible tells us that we are “born sinners” (Psalm 51:5), yet we
are commanded to ‘love thy neighbor’ (Mark 12:31). The multi-faceted dynamic of
human nature leaves us in toil of self-possession. Since it is the
responsibility of each of us to implement self-control, and decide daily, or
perhaps moment by moment what our behavior is going to reflect, we must learn by
which qualities we desire to be known.
Do we believe people are inherently good? Can people be trusted?
Have we experienced negative circumstances with people that have caused us to
lose trust or even faith in humanity?
If we can remember that forgiveness is a key component in moving
forward, regardless of the circumstance, a healthy perspective can be achieved.
Although every situation is different, forgiveness will be a helpful tool in
healing. It is important to remember that we must be conscious of our inter-personal
relationships, beahvioral patterns, and individual perspectives, that are all too often shaped by negative experiences. If someone has broken our trust, but seeks sincere forgiveness
from us, it may be worthwhile to learn to trust them again. However, if someone does
not seek forgiveness after having broken our trust, it may be helpful to take a quiet moment and offer up forgiveness to them within ourselves, for
our own inner-peace. The courage we find to forgive will ultimately keep us from
becoming jaded, and weary towards humanity.
I would be remised if I did not mention the unique portrayal of
sacrifice, forgiveness, and trust, found in scripture. A beacon of
self-sacrifice, unconditional love, and forgiveness, is Christ, as He uttered,
“Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). We should
view this as the pinnacle of humanity; where we find the most heinous of pain inflicted
on the human body (and spirit), but from those pangs restoration and life is found. In the spoken
word forgive, trust in a higher purpose is revealed and life regained.
I leave you with this quote from Timothy Zahn, author of Vision of
the Future (Star Wars), “Without trust, there can be no genuine peace. Neither
in politics, nor in the quiet individuality of the heart and spirit.”
No comments:
Post a Comment