OVERCOMING AHITHOPHEL SYNDROME

A prescription for forgiveness drawn from Scripture.

The Ahithophel referenced in the title of Spencer’s nonfiction debut is an Old Testament figure whose story is intimately connected with that of King David. Ahithophel had been the king’s trusted advisor until David coveted Ahithophel’s granddaughter Bathsheba and orchestrated the death of her husband, Uriah the Hittite. At that point, Ahithophel turned against the king and unsuccessfully sought his military destruction, and he later hanged himself. This story presents Spencer, a lecturer at Caribbean Maritime University, with the crux of her analysis, which deals with the concept of forgiveness. Ahithophel “could either devise strategies to hurt David,” she writes, “or allow God to work on his heart and help him to forgive David.” In her view, Ahithophel drifted further and further from “his identity in God” as he focused on revenge; she identifies this as the “Ahithophel Syndrome” and lays out a faith-based program for dealing with vengeful thoughts and rediscovering “the unsurpassed pleasure that comes from showing compassion.” She uses the acronym “F.O.R.G.I.V.E.” to describe this program, which stands for “Father’s Ointment Richly Given to Invalidate Vicious Emotions.” Throughout the book, Spencer stresses that forgiveness is a key aspect of the Christian faith, and it’s one that many adherents fail to achieve: “We find that many Christians are hateful,” she writes, “lacking purity of heart and are not mindful of others’ feelings.” She clearly makes her key point that forgiveness is not just a duty to God, but also a duty to the people whom one forgives. Insights such as these are common, as are the author’s autobiographical asides; she also repeatedly demonstrates her firm command of Scripture. Each chapter reinforces the author’s disarmingly simple message: “When we put our faith in God, we have peace in God.” Christian readers who may have lost sight of the central tenet of forgiveness will find reinvigorating reminders in these pages.

A powerful and compassionate Christian self-help text.