During his twelve years as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis taught us much about forgiveness. During one of his many speeches, he said, “Forgiveness does not change the past. It cannot change what happened in the past. Yet it can allow us to change the future and to live different lives free of anger, adomosity, and vindictiveness. Forgiveness makes possible a brighter future which enables us to look at the past with different eyes, now more serene albeit still bearing the trace of past tears.”
Forgiving those who have harmed us is a spiritual piece of recovery and good for our souls. Pam Sininek, in her talk about a Pilgrimage of Hope, said, “I don’t want to overlook that some harms are very deep. If we have been very hurt by someone, it is easy for me to stand up and say, ‘Oh, just forgive them.’ That is when we must work at it. Maybe we need to see a counselor or spiritual director.”
My basketball coach was mean and often belittling of my play on the court. I harbored anger and bitterness toward him for 25 years. Several years ago, a therapist helped me take the step to forgive him. I realized the feelings I held onto were destructive to my health. Several years later, he was at a wedding I was also attending. I spoke with him briefly. Walking away from the conversation, I realized the bitterness and anger I once had were just about gone. I still think about the past with him, but I am no longer in the past.
Action Step: What measure can you take to forgive a person who has harmed you?
SuperHuman Being
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website: https://superhumanbeing.net/