There are times in life when I wax nostalgic about Star Trek. The show always ended with Captain Kirk and his crew on the bridge with some major problem resolved. It gave the impression that ‘all is well’ in the universe.
I knew that with Captain James T. Kirk on the bridge, everything was back in order. The ship was intact, the crew healthy and the problem resolved.
The Starship Enterprise would continue it’s five-year mission. Those endings left me hoping that there would be similar ‘all is well’ endings to the challenges I encountered. For me, the original series was the be-all and end-all.
Over time, I realized that the situations I encountered in life, rarely had those “all is well” in the universe endings like Star Trek. The problems were not always resolved, nor was everyone in a good place on the bridge.
Real-life endings are not like those of Star Trek. Although the series tackled many of the issues of that time, it was not real life.
One place where real-life endings are unlike those of Star Trek concerns forgiveness. The assumption is made that once you forgive ‘all is well’.
In Star Trek’s neatly wrapped endings, there is a sense of closure and resolution that leaves you with a satisfying conclusion. The episodes typically climax with a formidable challenge or enemy threatening the crew or the universe. The situations are almost always resolved in favor of the Starship Enterprise.
As the final scenes unfold, the crew reunites on the bridge where they share a moment of camaraderie or light-hearted banter, reinforcing a sense of unity and shared accomplishment. The Enterprise then resumes its course, sailing into the star-studded horizon with the iconic theme music playing in the background.
You want the Captain on the bridge, sharing the comradery and knowing everything in its place in the universe as a result of forgiveness. You want the Star Trek ending.
Real life doesn’t give you such an ending. Instead, you have hurts, rejection, avoidance of responsibility, illusions of peace, and one person’s needs placed ahead of someone else’s. It’s not fair and doesn’t play by the rules. Even the path of your journey has changed.
The real-life universe is not in balance, nor is all well. Real-life forgiveness brings healing, but it doesn’t promise that ‘all is well’.
Discovering the power that real-life forgiveness brings to you and your relationships changes your world. It opens you up to wanting real connection, and real relationships rather than people just going through the motions.
Going through the motions looks good on TV, but it’s not fulfilling. Those Star Trek endings look appealing, yet are actually empty.
In the video “Forgiveness: Stop the Pain, Tear down the Walls and Remove the Roadblocks“, you’ll learn about real-life forgiveness that works. You’ll know what brings healing rather than what gives the illusion of peace at your expense.
Keeping It Real,
Jeff
