Poetry

Considering the Unforgivable

A Walk of Faith Series | Wrestling with Mercy and Justice

Jan Victors — Jacob Seeking the Forgiveness of Esau (Wikimedia Commons)

They say forgiveness
is the crown jewel of virtue,
a diamond mined out of the mountain’s heart.
But what happens when we face the unforgivable?
Here, we falter, the world’s wrongs
fragmented shards. Are there gradations
of hurt, a hierarchy of what tears
us asunder? Does a swift release
lessen its worth?

Forgiveness often balances
on the edge of obsidian,
teetering between the demands of justice
and the warm embrace of mercy.
The human soul wrestles,
emerging fractured, but not wholly shattered,
grace liberating the bound heart,
guiding us toward a freedom
bathed in Love’s unwavering light.