Forgiveness is truly a divine ability, and one that we cannot hope to fully execute in our human nature. Perhaps we are most like our Maker in the moments when we choose to forgive those who have wronged us..hurt us...betrayed us. And in the moments when we allow forgiveness to govern our actions, I believe the heart of God honors our prayers.

The following prayer was found on a scrap of paper during the liberation of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp in Germany during World War II.

"Lord, remember not only the men of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted upon us. Remember rather the fruits we have brought, thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, the courage, the generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown out of this. And when they come to judgment, let all the fruits we have bourne be their forgiveness."

I am moved by this prayer in ways I cannot even express in words. You see, this particular concentration camp was created primarily for women. Between the years of 1939-1945, over 130,000 female prisoners passed through the gates of Ravensbruck. Only 40,000 lived to tell about it. Corrie ten Boom, one of my spiritual heroes, was among that 40,000. She eventually shared her story through the book, The Hiding Place, which was later made into a movie as well. One of the recurring themes of the book is forgiveness.

When I look at the betrayals in my life, they seem inconsequential when compared to the suffering inflicted by the leaders of Ravensbruck. Yet somehow the women held captive there allowed God to infuse them with the capacity to forgive. So how can I not allow God to do the same in my life? Forgiveness is a gift we can choose to give. It is not conditional upon the wrongdoer's acknowledgement of their mistake. Think about it...some people will never accept responsibility for their actions, nor will they seek your forgiveness. But we can bestow the gift of forgiveness anyway, and in doing so, we can bear the fruit of the Divine.