Forgiving our fathers (shortened version)

[fightngwrmwood]

Forgiving Our Fathers
by D. Lourie

How do we forgive our fathers?
Maybe in a dream.


Do we forgive our fathers for leaving us too often,
or forever,
when we were little?


Maybe for scaring us with unexpected rage,
or for making us nervous
because there never seemed to be any rage there at all?


Do we forgive our fathers for marrying,
or not marrying,
our mothers?


Or divorcing,
or not divorcing,
our mothers?


And shall we forgive them for their excesses
of warmth
or coldness?


Shall we forgive them
for pushing
or leaning?


For shutting doors?
For speaking through walls?


Or never speaking?
Or never being silent?


Do we forgive our fathers in our age or in theirs?


Or in their deaths,
saying it to them,
or not saying it?


If we forgive our fathers, what is left?

 

[Dreamer]

I like this poem. It's thought-provoking. No earthly father can do the job that our Heavenly Father does. Therefore, since earthly fathers cannot possibly be perfect, we do need to forgive them....hopefully before they pass away.

My father passed away in 1999. My mother passed away in 2002. If I had not forgiven them both years prior to their deaths...it would have made their deaths that much harder for me. I know they are both in heaven and that is what is important.

 

[fightngwrmwood]

Amen. Praise God for the amazing and perfect Father that He is.

I am so thankful for the job He does, as you say. And for the forgiveness we have received that allows us to forgive, in His time.

Thank you for posting this.

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Thanks for the poem. Are we to forgive our fathers? - yes. Why? To be reconciled with them as much as possible and reconciled to our Heavenly Father. "Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors." (Mt 6:12).

SLE