Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.

In MacDonald’s Christian moral imagination, forgiveness is not merely a legal cancellation of debt but a restorative act that reopens relationship and moral vitality. To forgive is to “give life” because it releases both parties from the deadening cycle of resentment, retaliation, and self-justification; it makes room for renewed growth, trust, and communion. The second half—“and so the receiving, of life”—stresses reciprocity: the forgiver is also healed, regaining spiritual freedom and emotional energy that bitterness consumes. The line condenses a central MacDonald theme: divine and human forgiveness are creative, life-giving forces rather than mere verdicts.