When someone has been hurt, attacked, abused and suffered injustice it is natural to feel anger, bitterness and even hatred.
However, holding on to those emotions is only toxic for the victim not the victimizer(s). Those emotions need to be jettisoned in order for healing to take place.
In many cases the victim becomes a victimizer because the negative and toxic emotions and thoughts take control. This, in part, is why the toxic thoughts and feelings must be discarded.
As Nelson Mandela showed us the only path to healing is forgiveness because the alternative holds us captive to negativity in a prison of our own bitterness.
Jesus taught about forgiveness, He taught that our forgiveness ideally should be infinite.
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22
Seventy times seven is symbolic for infinity. And so we are taught to forgive as we are taught to love; without conditions or limits.
Maybe our enemies haven't earned our forgiveness but it seems as though Jesus taught that they do deserve our forgiveness and our love.
But forgiveness doesn't just free our enemies it frees us and all we have control over is ourselves. We can free ourselves from the toxicity that would otherwise rule us.
We may be taught to love our enemies but one can love another without condoning or accepting everything they say or do.
Look to the example of how Jesus treated all those He met. He may have been sharp with the Pharisees but He did not hate those who hated Him. He prayed for the forgiveness of His murderers.
And that's the best example of forgiveness I can think of. Because it is both a demonstration of forgiveness and love that knows no limits or conditions.
