Grace and Imitation

“What is that force that turns our injured souls around and lets us—even cautiously—forgive the one who pounded nails into us? It’s not yet love, for love would seek the other’s good, and there’s nothing in us ready for love yet. It’s the sight of Grace crucified upon a tree, enduring ghastly injury, that powers our first willingness to free some sinner as we ourselves have been set free. The grace of Christ is always multiplying—first for us; then through us. What He forgave, we may yet learn how to forgive. So stay in grace.”