Tolerance may be defined as broadmindedness, open-mindedness, leniency, charity, patience.  Acceptance may be defined as agreement, favorable reception, recognition and concurrence.  Openness is synonymous to sincerity, honesty, forthrightness, and integrity.

People often miss the opportunity to settle their issues with others for lack of these traits.  They try to make their lives more complicated and resort to pass the blame to others, when they themselves are the cause of their inability to cope up with their own inadequacies .

It is clearly described in Luke 12:54 – 59 of the Holy Bible, which states thus: “ Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into the prison and you will not be released until you have paid the last penny”.

Most of us are not sold to the idea that we should make the first move whenever we are in feud with people who are against us.  We consider this practice as cowardice on our part to settle an issue at our own initiative, not realizing that this is the best move, and the best alternative whether we are at fault and whether the other party is.  There can nothing be more gratifying for our adversaries than to see that we are the first to offer our hand for a sincere conciliation.  If we are to put ourselves in his shoes, can we reject our enemy who approaches us with smile and say he is sorry and is ready to listen and appeal for a renewal of friendship and let bygones be bygones.

When a Pharisee asked Jesus while He was teaching in the synagogue, what is the most important commandment of all God’s commandments as handed down to Moses, He made mention of only two commandments. The first is to “love God with all your heart and soul” and the second most important commandment is to “love others as you love yourself.”  It is a concrete manifestation that loving others is equally important to loving God.  It would be impossible for us show our love of God if we don’t love other people.  And to love others, we need TOLERANCE  ACCEPTANCE & OPENNESS in our hearts.  Without these important traits, we would find it impossible to follow the second most important commandment, which is our passport to heaven.

We need to tolerate the unique behavior of other people, accept their faults, and always be open for reconciliation.  If only we could develop these traits in us, we can show others that there is hope in every challenge that life offers.  We would understand each other more, and we can face our adversaries with sincerity and patience and consider our disagreements as inevitable and move forward in unison towards a better goal of understanding and cooperation.  We could do away with distrust and ill feelings, a way to secure in making this world a better place to live in.  Though how impossible it may seem, we could do it as Christ has shown us.  Forgive one another, support each other and always keep God as the center of our quest for peace and prosperity.  If we start it now within ourselves, others may follow soon.  Do good to others, and the best time to do it is now.  As Mother Theresa has aptly described it, “The best of all charities is to do good to people from whom we could never expect anything in return.”  It’s not the amount of charity we give to others, but the amount of love and sincerity we impart in giving.  And the best, but the hardest thing we could share is the amount of understanding we give to other people.  If we consider them as our sisters and brothers, as our parents and children, then there’s nothing in the way for us to show we care.  If your child will ask for milk, would you give him a poison, and if he or she will ask for a toy, would you give him a snake?  Whatever you feel your child deserve, others deserve it too, our enemies included.

This is the root cause of all social, economic, and political turmoil in this world - the lack of tolerance, acceptance and openness.  If all people will practice what these traits suggest, then and only then, will this world become a universal habitat for all of us.  Arithmetically, we could derive the basic formula to remedy this dilemma, that is:

TOLERANCE  + ACCEPTANCE + OPENNESS = FORGIVENESS