Unforgiveness is Deadly

Alexander Pope, a 17th/18th century poet penned the words, "To err is human, to forgive divine" in his work An Essay on Criticism, published May 15, 1711. Pope was a satirist and critic, among other things. One of his sins against humanity and the crown, at the time, was being Catholic. It was interesting to read about 17th century Britain and their laws concerning this. Catholics were not allowed to teach, attend school. vote, or hold public office under penalty of imprisonment. On top of this he had many physical maladies that caused him to hunchbacked, have respiratory problems, and stunted growth.

I don't know what Mr. Pope's relationship with the Lord was like, but in worldly standards, he had every right to be upset and bitter. He would have many people today understanding if he was unwilling to forgive those who persecuted him because of his personal beliefs and practices, and not conforming to theirs. Yet, he penned the words, "To err is human, to forgive divine". I truly hope he believed that and wasn't just saying it. Jesus addresses this many times.