Tagged With "forgiveness"

It was a sunny fall afternoon a few years ago. A friend posed a very interesting question as we ate our dinner on the deck at a local restaurant. “What do you think, Chris, about the possibility of a whole group of people experiencing a reaction to trauma? Like, maybe our whole nation is still traumatized from 9-11-01, or Katrina, or maybe just a whole host of cascading traumatic events?” We spoke at some length about what a reaction to trauma would look like in a society at large, and it...

One of the concepts I try to invoke to the community is the transforming power of being there — connecting rather than separating. Abraham Lincoln is quoted, “I don’t like that man. I need to get to know him better.” And “Do I not lose my enemies when I make them my friends?” Jesus befriended Zaccheus. Zaccheus was transformed in that he worked for the better of his community (Luke 19). Instead of asking, “Why did you do that?” ask, “Why are you hurting?” I’ve worked with those with...

While the process of forgiving painful offenses from childhood can be very difficult, efforts to forgive bring great rewards. The process begins with acknowledging the pain, applying self-compassion, and taking even small and faltering steps to get the forgiveness ball rolling.

Three burdensome happens learned in trying to cope with adverse childhood experiences can be changed. Efforts to drop and replace these troubling habits can be extremely liberating.

Wounds of the heart may persist after troubling memories from childhood adversity have been rewired. Fortunately, pain from childhood adversities can spur us to create a peaceful heart of forgiving, kindness, calm, and purpose.