© 2014 Kebba Buckley Button. World Rights Reserved.
Rev. Kebba Buckley Button and Fr. William Meninger
Today, in the middle of the SNV, we consider the quality and action of forgiveness. Whole books are available on this dynamic subject, because forgiveness is really a process, and for most of us, there is always more forgiveness work. One of the leading teachers in forgiveness work is Fr. William Meninger, a Trappist monk, scholar, and author. Fr. William sees the process in 5 stages: Claiming the hurt, guilt /self-blame, victimhood, anger, and wholeness. Fr. William points out, in his book, The Process of Forgiveness, that Christians are commanded to forgive. For example, in Romans 12, where Paul instructs us to “bless those who persecute you” and as far as possible, to “live at peace with everyone”. In Matthew 5, Jesus advises us to make peace with anyone with whom we are unreconciled, before we present our gifts to the Lord. That is how basic it is to do our best to forgive, and to live in harmony with all.
When you walk into a room, who else are you bringing with you, who doesn’t even know they are with you? When you hold hurts from the past, you are literally carrying the “hurters” with you wherever you go. Forgive them, forgive the events, and you will stop carrying the weight of all those people on your shoulders. And in your heart. Forgiveness will take you to your peace within.
Here is the AGNT contemplation for Day 29:
DAY 29 Feb. 27: The thought for today is FORGIVENESS. When we forgive, we do not condone hurtful behavior. When we realize that there is something within us that is more important than this hurtful experience, we are free to let go of the past and move on with our lives. In doing so, we open our hearts to the humanity of those we forgive.
As we forgive others, we are teaching the mind to respond with forgiveness everywhere, even to the misdeeds and mistakes of our own past. And if I have treated a particular person badly, even if I can no longer win that person’s forgiveness, I can still win the forgiveness of myself.
“The result of forgiveness is the stopping of the recycling of anger within ourselves and in the world. Peace will come to the world when each of us takes the responsibility of forgiving everyone, including ourselves, completely.”
—Gerald Jampolsky
Today: I am willing to let go of the past, and forgive those who have hurt me, and towards whom I feel anger. I will forgive myself too. Today, I will write a letter of forgiveness to someone (I do not have to mail it).
———————————————
● Kebba Buckley Button is the author of the 2013 book, Peace Within: Your Peaceful Inner Core (Second Edition). It’s a book to keep with you constantly, to quickly recharge your Peace Within, with quotes, photos, and poems that take you directly there! Kebba is a corporate stress management trainer, and she also has a holistic healing practice.
● Liked this article? Why not buy Kebba’s books? Just click the links!
- Peace Within: Your Peaceful Inner Core (Second Edition) (http://tinyurl.com/mqg3uvc)
- Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br).
Rev. Kebba Buckley Button
Photo by Candace Thornton
EaselPhoto.com
● Enjoyed this post? Please click “like” in the FB widget in the right hand column! You’ll have our undying gratitude plus a huge rise in your Good Karma.
● Please leave a comment!
Peaceful People 