Forgiveness has become a buzzword, but people still don't understand it. They don't realize its rewards - or the cost of refusing to forgive. Many think forgiving means excusing, forgetting, or ignoring their pain. They view it as weakness. Why Forgive? brings together survivors of crime, betrayal, bigotry, and abuse - and ordinary men and women plagued by everyday strife. Not all are ready to forgive. But all are determined not to let anger, bitterness, and despair control their lives. Together, their stories will challenge and encourage others wherever they are on the road to healing.

In Why Forgive? Arnold avoids glib pronouncements by letting the untidy experiences of ordinary people speak for themselves - people who have earned the right to talk about overcoming hurt, and about the peace of mind they have found in doing so.

"Hurt" is an understatement, actually, for many of these stories deal with the harrowing effects of violent crime, betrayal, abuse, bigotry, and war. But Why Forgive? examines life's more mundane battle scars as well: the persistent hobgoblins of backbiting, gossip, and strained family ties, marriages gone cold, and tensions in the workplace.

As in life, not every story has a happy ending - a fact Arnold refuses to skirt. The book also addresses the difficulty of forgiving oneself, the futility of blaming God, and the turmoil of those who simply cannot forgive, even though they try.