I believe we are saying the same thing...forgiveness is a two-way street. But one cannot forgive someone until forgiveness is sought and paid for by contrition and the demonstrable effort to change ways.
The enemy ceases to be enemy only when he admits he injured you and is truly sorry, contrite.
Right, and you've just proved my point as well as your own!
...But forgiveness can be unilateral—otherwise, how could Christ have forgiven those who were crucifying him?
He wasn't forgiving them...he was instead sacrificing Himself before the whole world for its eternity and for its collective sins but ONLY IF WE SOUGHT IT FROM GOD! He was begging God to hear our pleas forgiveness when we ask it. This is borne out, IMHO, by his forgiveness of one thief who asked it, but not of the other on the day of his crucifixion...
“I believe we are saying the same thing...forgiveness is a two-way street.”
No, sorry, I don’t like to disagree with you, but we are not saying the same thing. Forgiveness can be a one-way street. Reconciliation must be a two-way street. You can and must forgive even your enemies. Jesus said so and did so. They remain your enemies until they repent and ask you to forgive them.
But one can and a Christian must (I mean that—it is an absolute obligation to forgive even before the offender asks for forgiveness) forgive regardless whether the offender asks to be forgiven. His asking to be forgiven is a prerequisite for reconciliation but not for forgiveness.
That does NOT however mean that by unilaterally forgiving my enemy I am saying that he did me no wrong or is not doing grave wrong. I can (and must) forgive him even while he remains the worst possible enemy, evildoer.
What I just outlined is what it means to “love your enemies,” “pray for those who persecute you” etc.
Now, what Mrs. Sanford means by “forgiveness,” I don’t know. I’m just describing what Christian faith says about it. It was revolutionary when Jesus pronounced it and it remains so today.