Last month we began our new editorial series, The Power of Forgiveness, with an incredible story by Laura Hillenbrand, best-selling author of Seabiscuit. It was about an ex-soldier named Louie Zamperini who overcame years of bitterness and rage to forgive the enemy who tortured him so unspeakably in a prisoner-of-war camp. With that act of forgiveness Louie’s life—and faith—began anew. Forgiveness was redemptive and liberating.
This month we have an equally remarkable story in our series, from Jill Wolpert, who attempted to reconcile with her long-estranged father on his eightieth birthday by making him a beautiful one-of-a-kind quilt whose particular motifs revealed the deeper pattern of love that had always joined them, even when each felt unloved by the other for so many years.
They never actually said, “I forgive you,” confesses Jill near the end of her story, a bit wistfully perhaps. But that isn’t really true. The words they did say to each other for the very first time ever were “I love you,” and there is no greater forgiving power than love. Love forgives. Forgiveness is impossible without love.
On February 14 we run around saying “I love you” to just about everyone, and that’s good. But maybe I’ll try saying it to some people I haven’t said it to in too long a time. And if I am blessed some long-lost soul from my past will come to me and say, “I love you” and I’ll know what it means.
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