the Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt said, the only remedy for the inevitability of history is forgiveness; otherwise, we remain trapped in the "predicament of irreversibility.

Lewis Smedes points out, "The first and often the only person to be healed by forgiveness is the person who does the forgiveness. . . . When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us.

When a couple encounters a crisis, it magnifies what's already present in the relationship.

The only thing harder than forgiveness is the alternative.

God took a great risk by announcing forgiveness in advance, and the scandal of grace involves a transfer of that risk to us.

Apart from forgiveness, the monstrous past may awake at any time from hibernation to devour the present. And also the future.

In a letter to his brother, C. S. Lewis mentioned that he prayed every night for the people he was most tempted to hate, with Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini heading the list. In another letter he wrote that as he prayed for them, he meditated on how his own cruelty might have blossomed into something like theirs. He remembered that Christ died for them as much as for him, and that he himself was not "so different from these ghastly creatures.

If I were your enemy, I'd use every opportunity to bring old wounds to mind, as well as the people, events, and circumstances that caused them. I'd try to ensure that your heart was hardened with anger and bitterness. Shackled through unforgiveness.

say no (Deut. 5:15). Strategy 9—Against Your Heart He uses every opportunity to keep old wounds fresh in mind, knowing that anger and hurt and bitterness and unforgiveness will continue to roll the damage forward (Heb. 12:15). Strategy 10—Against Your Relationships He creates disruption and disunity within your circle of friends and within the shared community of the body of Christ (1 Tim. 2:8). And that's just ten of 'em—ten

Unforgiveness is a strategic design, craftily implemented by you enemy to outwit you, to cripple your effectiveness in prayer and your power to stand against him victoriously. Which is why, if I were your enemy, I would do everything possible to keep you from forgiving anyone and everyone who's done you any wrong.

He just flat went ahead and "tore down the dividing wall of hostility" (Eph. 2:14 hcsb) that had stood between them for dozens and dozens of long, gray-haired generations. He wasn't appealing for peace but was proclaiming peace—"peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near" (Eph.

Strategy 4—Against Your Family He wants to disintegrate your family, dividing your home, rendering it chaotic, restless, and unfruitful (Gen. 3:1—7).