It's time to talk about forgiveness. It's always a daunting task to bring up forgiveness in the face of trauma and loss, especially with situations that are really beyond our personal control. But forgiveness is a powerful healing spiritual principle and it is a practice that can open our minds and hearts to deeper spiritual experience. Forgiveness changes us. Forgiveness changes relationships and situations. Forgiveness brings freedom. Those of you who have been a part of the teachings at Hillside for many years know the forgiveness process, but you may not have opened that door in light of the pandemic. For those of you who are not as familiar with forgiveness as a process of healing and release, I encourage you to give it a try. While some writers and teachers suggest a kind of blanket, all purpose forgiveness, we have always approached it as highly personalized, and individual. It's not something that can be forced on yourself or others. When you are ready to forgive, you discover you know how. In a extraordinary life event like a world wide pandemic with weeks and weeks of lockdown, social distancing, potentially life-threatening illness, economic threat, and daily descriptions of the suffering of others, it seems too big a load to lift through forgiveness. Yet, perhaps the world is waiting for forgiveness. You are the only one who can offer your forgiveness. And only when you are ready.
Rather than getting overloaded by the complexity of all the facets and undercurrents of the pandemic, I suggest taking this piecemeal. Start with your immediate situation and what is bothersome to you personally. See how willing you are to forgive that aspect of your life right now. See how the emotional and visceral threads run and what impact that particular thing, person, annoyance, difficulty...whatever it is... is having on your days. Fully and freely forgive it (or them), let it go, in affirmation of a greater good Don't let it rob you of your peace. Let it go. (Susan Nettleton)
For more thoughts on forgiveness, follow the link to this article by Larry Morris from our website.
https://hillsidesource.com/daily-thoughts/2018/6/26/forgiveness