Forgiveness has been a hot topic of conversation lately – well, at least between myself and a couple of my friends. We have all been badly hurt in the last couple of months by unjust accusations. The more we tried to ‘fix’ things, the more of a mess was created by a second party intent on proving us wrong.

What does one do, in the context of community-building, when something like this happens? We all know the importance of unity, and we all know that forgiveness is important. And to a certain extent, when it comes to mistakes, accidents, or misunderstandings, all it takes is a good talk, sometimes a couple of tears, and a step forward towards becoming a better person.

This is where one can start understanding the power of the Covenant. To accept that someone has insulted you beyond belief and hurt you in an unimaginable way, yet choosing to let the good of the community come first – it goes against every single survival instinct we have! This does not mean being naïve about it: my friends and I decided that we would keep these people at a distance and be careful around them.  However, we have been praying for them, we have been focusing on the positive aspects of their personalities and we have been able to remain remarkably friendly around them, even creating opportunities to reach out to them.

While it is difficult, sometimes beyond belief, it also brings us such great joy. And that, my friends, is one of the signs of the power of the Covenant.