The Inspiration of Forgiveness

On November 28 and 29, 2024, Megyn Kelly re-released her four-hour, news-making interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from March 2022. Part 1 aired on the 28th and part 2 on the 29th. RFK Jr. is set to take over as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services for President-Elect Trump, and this interview allows us to get to know him in-depth.

In the interview, Megyn asks RFK Jr. about his ability to forgive Sirhan Sirhan, the man accused of assassinating his father, Robert F. Kennedy Sr. In that context, RFK Jr. emphasizes the importance of forgiving others to free oneself from the corrosive effects that holding onto resentment can have on the soul.

“Resentments and anger and revenge are impulses that are never good for you. Resentments are, as they say, like swallowing poison and hoping someone else will die. It has a corrosive impact on your own soul. So I think what the better approach to people who hurt you is to pray for them, to forgive them, and then to keep moving. But if you let them live in your head rent free then they are in control of you and only by forgiving them do you escape their control and their influence.” (RFK Jr.)

Those who believe in Jesus Christ, including Megyn Kelly and RFK Jr., are warned about allowing unforgiveness to dwell in the heart. After Jesus prays the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, he says the following in verses 14 and 15:

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)

What Jesus conveys here is that we sever our connection with God when we harbor an unrepentant mindset. He intends for the understanding of forgiveness to serve as a source of encouragement for you. Your relationship with God and those around you hinges on this principle. Forgiveness revolves more around a conscious decision of the mind than merely an emotional response. There exists a spiritual conflict between our ears; what governs the mind will influence the heart and ultimately guide our actions.

We may often resist extending mercy to those who have wronged us, yet this is precisely what we are called to do. It may not always be a simple task, but the most valuable things in life rarely come easily. When we harbor resentment, it transforms into a tremendous weight. Embrace the divine mercy that God extends to you and ask Him for the strength to cast aside anger, bitterness, and resentment. As you resolve to move forward in grace, develop the practice of praying for those who have caused you pain. If God leads you, seek to apologize for any wrong attitudes or actions on your part.

Holding onto bitterness serves no purpose. This is why Scripture underscores the importance of forgiveness. Decide to free yourself from this heavy burden by welcoming forgiveness for your well-being. Let Jesus' promise of liberation, when we choose to believe and follow Him, inspire you during your time left here on Earth.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)