Jimmy Carter ran for president of the United States against Ronald Reagan in 1980. According to David Wallis in the New Your Times Magazine, prior to a televised debate between the two candidates, columnist George Will came upon Carter's debate notes and sneaked them to the Reagan camp. Many pundits felt that Reagan won that debate, and he went on to win the election. Carter did not forget what George Will had done to him.
In a 1997 interview with Wallis, Carter said:
Anyone can hold a grudge. It takes character to initiate reconciliation.
Grudges, Reconciliation, Resentment
Matt. 5:23-26; 18:15-35; Col. 3:13
In a 1997 interview with Wallis, Carter said:
I was teaching forgiveness on day in Sunday school, and I tried to go through my memory about people for whom I had a resentment. George Will was one of those people, so I wrote him a note. I asked myself, What do we have in common, and I had known that he had written a book about baseball, which I had refused to read. I went to a bookstore and found a remaindered copy. Paid a dollar for it. So I wrote him a note and told him the facts: that I had a feeling of resentment toward him, that I had found his book delightful and I hoped that we would be permanently reconciled.
He wrote me back a nice, humorous note. He said his only regret was that I didn't pay full price for his book.
He wrote me back a nice, humorous note. He said his only regret was that I didn't pay full price for his book.
Anyone can hold a grudge. It takes character to initiate reconciliation.
Grudges, Reconciliation, Resentment
Matt. 5:23-26; 18:15-35; Col. 3:13