From the very first time hearing Collective Soul’s ‘Forgiveness’, it was embedded in my heart and mind; but this past week especially, I cant get it out of my head – and yes this is a good thing 
To me the song is about the writer being wronged by someone, and wanting to forgive and forget and move on in life. But although he’s made the conscious choice to forgive this person, he physically / mentally can’t forget what happened, and so he’s pushing himself to let it go completely on all levels. The song writer knows that until he does so – totally lets it go – things won’t be good for him. Forgiving someone is more often for your own piece of mind than the person you are letting off the hook.
By the second verse, the singer has grown and matured, and instead of ‘trying’ to forgive, he has forgiven. He’s accepted the hurt that was done to him and moved on – it isn’t important in his life any more, and he’s not tied down to it any longer.
And this lyric:
So I wash away stains of yesterday
Then tempt my heart with love’s display
The song writer wrote this for himself – most of his songs are from personal experiences – but this song was written for anyone who has need of forgiving someone in their life, including me. The person I needed to forgive, had no idea I needed to do so – nor will they ever know. Being mad at them for something percieved, had more of a detrimental effect upon me than upon them – they had no idea of course! But it was eating away at me, and so I had to let it go. Easy to say but difficult to do when you think the other person is in the wrong. Things happened that showed me the need for forgiving and forgetting (dont forget that step)… and with ‘Love’s display’ tempting my heart, i was able to let it go. For good. And it feels good.
You dont know who you are, but I do.
Thank you.
“Forgiveness”
In my silence I would love to forget
But restitution hasn’t come quite yet
And with one accord I keep pushing forth
I stretch my heart to heal some more
It used to be all I’d want to learn
Was wisdom trust and truth
But now all I really want to learn
Is forgiveness for you
As my seasons change I’ve now grown to know
When one’s heart creates, one’s soul doesn’t owe
So I wash away stains of yesterday
Then tempt my heart with love’s display
It used to be all I’d want to learn
Was wisdom trust and truth
But now all I really want to learn
Is forgiveness for you
