More than 40 years ago, I had some problems - not sexual - with a priest in a Catholic seminary that haunted me for years after I left. Though I was not in contact with the priest, I forgave him sometime after midnight one night in 1976. The hatred and bad dreams went away and later that same year, he died. He seemed to be a very unhappy, troubled soul and I know others had ill will towards him as well, but at least it ended for me that night.

That same year, a number of the Peace Corps volunteers with whom I would later serve in Zambia were born. Recently, when I looked at a picture of my group just before our close of service, I realized that many of them held equally deep-seated hatred towards each other (including towards me) and other people as I had held against the priest their life time away. My hatred for the priest was a real poison to me but impacted the priest not at all. It took me 9 years to learn that lesson and get rid of the hatred. It has been 7 years now since the Peace Corps picture was taken and many of those hurts still exist though they can't be seen unless you know how to look. If you see yourself in this picture and know what I am talking about, please let go of the pain. If you are not in this picture, let go of the pain. Forgive. It is not specific to Peace Corps, or to individuals or groups but even to nations. Consider this excerpt from the gospel of Matthew:

You have heard that it was said ‘Love your friends, hate your enemies.’ But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on the bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. (Mt. 5:43-45)

Let it go. The pain hurts you more than it will ever hurt the people you hate.