In 1994, the devastating Rwandan genocide saw the murder of around 800,000 Rwandans. When a new government came about, it established the state forgiveness project: perpetrators of the genocide had to ask the survivors and victims’ family members for forgiveness, and the survivors had to forgive those who committed the genocide. The decision was made: although it is very hard to do, it is the price we must pay.
If the victims can overcome their desire for vengeance, we will be able to heal through forgiveness. Otherwise, we will face a cycle of murders and hatred. Although Rwanda is still struggling, the country managed to break the vicious cycle of hostility.
Can we truly forgive murderers? Yes, we can. Either consciously, we can attract a positive force into our lives that lets us do so (which is possible with the method of Kabbalah), or unconsciously, we can do so by law, by understanding that there is no other way. Yet the greatest and most exalted way to forgive murderers is by comprehending that a positive force is operating us all. Here, we must agree that such a setup was not created by us, nor was it our doing. We were governed by the same higher power, which is good and omnipotent.
Based on the video “Can You Forgive Someone Who Murdered Your Family or Friends?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
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