"For a many good people imagine that forgiving your enemies means making out that they are really not such bad fellows after all, when it is quite plain they are. Go a step further. In my most clear-sighted moments not only do I not think of myself as a nice man, but I know that I am a very nasty one... Now that I come to think of it, I remember Christian teachers telling me long ago that I must hate a bad man's actions, but not hate the bad man; or, as they would say, hate the sin but not the sinner..." (117). 

I believe this is an extremely had aspect to grasp. Think about it. We all have those people that we cannot stand. They make us angry, or they have even done wrong to us. A little anecdote that came to mind while reading this section was back about 4 years ago. The story does not involve me yet it is definitely a story where it was hard to forgive the other party involved. My friend, Taylor, used to own a little pony. This pony was very special to her, as it was her "first horse" and the first horse she had ever ridden. As she grew up, this horse needed a new little girl to ride him and keep him going in his old age. This little girl got the pony and not too long later, the pony threw her off and I believe she broke her arm. In his rage, her father beat the pony and starved it; no food or water for a very long time. When the girl was well again, she continued riding the pony. The next time she got thrown off, the father had had enough and actually shot the horse and killed it. This is a very sad, depressing story. However it brings up this exact situation. How in the world is Taylor supposed to forgive this horrible man and what crime he has committed against her pony? I know that when we were discussing it with her, I was enraged. How could someone have such a little heart and love for a poor, defenseless creature? This pony did nothing wrong, the girl wasn't even badly injured. I have had the same things happen to me, yet I don't go abusing my horse and committing animal cruelty. But that brings up a major question. How do you forgive the sin in this situation? Not to mention, how would you forgive the sinner? This kind of hostility is ridiculous and disgusting to see in a grown man. This man should know how to control his temper and realize that it wasn't the animals fault. And just as C.S. Lewis said, he wouldn't think of himself as nice at all towards people who have done him wrong. He says so himself, "I know that I am a very nasty one" (117). And in cases like this, I am left to wonder, how can I forgive this wretched man? C.S. Lewis goes a little more in depth of how to overcome this hatred and anger. Not all cases are as severe as mine, however, the same concept would still come into play. C.S. Lewis says that it is definitely not easy, it never will be easy. But you must realize that sin is omnipresent in this world. The hatred and anger has to be let go. That is much easier said than done, of course. However, holding onto something makes you just as bad as the person who committed the crime. You are holding that sin within your heart and most of the time, all you can think about is revenge. God says that our heart fills with the fire of revenge and it will make us worse than the sinner of the crime. As you come to terms with the pain and suffering, just remember that you don't hate the man, but you hate what he did. The killer of the pony may not be "bad", but his actions are. It is a hard realm to entirely explain, but it makes sense as you realize that the only reason you hate someone is because their actions showed you something to dislike. You say you dislike the queen-bee of the school, but what do you really hate about her? Her actions; her gossip, her high and mighty attitude, and her way of almost bullying you around to make you feel unworthy. But what did I mention? I mentioned all of the actions that she does. Just as Jesus hated the sin, he always sat with the sinners. He knew it was their actions that were bad, not the men themselves. "Hate the sin, but not the sinner." ~C.S. Lewis