Forgiveness

Forgiveness is important, not to be 'good', but for cultivating self-awareness of sin, and to get God's forgiveness.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Look at this portion of a letter written by Anne Boleyn to Henry VIII who had her executed:

“But if you have already determined of me, and that not only my death, but an infamous slander must bring you the joying of your desired happiness, then I desire of God that he will pardon your great sin herein, and likewise my enemies, the instruments thereof; and that he will not call you to a strait account for your unprincely and cruel usage of me at his general judgment-seat, where both you and myself must shortly appear; and in whose just judgment, I doubt not (Whatsoever the world may think of me), mine innocency shall be openly known and sufficiently cleared.”

Interesting, upon a second reading of that I don't see her forgiving him explicitly, but nevertheless her words make my point even better. She's aware of her own judgment and she puts this injustice (not a small one) against her in its place as not that big a deal compared to the fact that they will both face judgment. She says: "I desire of God that he will pardon your great sin herein." This is the attitude that the verse in the Lord's Prayer teaches and cultivates.