Remember, forgiveness is about letting go of our need to get even, but we still have to deal with the real emotions of that hurt. We don't just pretend nothing has happened and call that forgiveness. Forgiveness is not about taking on a new attitude, but rather letting go of one. Living a life of forgiveness means living a life with open hands. We can give and receive only when our hands are open.
Open hands are incapable of holding onto rage and rancor and revenge.
Jesus' hands had to be open in order for the soldiers to pound in the nails. They had to be open to receive the sins of the world. His hands had to be open in order to forgive and embrace us as brothers and sisters. As I said earlier, I was born in the center of the Michigan palm and moved to the edge of the hand. That's a wonderful metaphor for our Christian life.