
07/07/2020
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ann Memmott, national and international adviser on inclusion for churches
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ann Memmott, national and international adviser on inclusion for churches, with a focus on disability, autism and other neurodiversities
Good morning
Today is Global Forgiveness Day. I’m somewhat wary of the word ‘forgiveness’. Perhaps from encounters with some who have announced that we simply must forgive others for doing something awful. That it is our moral duty to forgive instantly and utterly, even if the other person has no intention of changing their harmful behaviour.
Certainly forgiveness, if freely offered, from a place of authentic reflection, can be a healing thing. In a world that is filled with catastrophe, it can be a blessing to let go of awful memories, for some.
But, forgiveness isn’t something that can be imposed, or demanded, and nor does it have a timescale. People who have been through awful experiences will all grieve in their own time, feel emotions that are very personal to them, and heal in a time that reflects their own lives.
I work alongside many survivors of disastrous situations, who now have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and whose lives need rebuilding with love and care, with hope and gentleness. A bracing ‘just forgive and move on’ does not heal PTSD. For some, especially those in marginalised groups, the harm is on-going, not in the past. Walking alongside people on such a journey back to personal safety, and to inner peace, is a quiet honour, not a burden. For me, my faith has been a vital part of my own journey from past experiences, and prayer has been at the heart of on-going healing.
A prayer I value is this one:
Loving God, I hurt from what has been done. Travel alongside me through the pain, the grief, the anger, the numbness, the shock and despair. Help me to know your peace and your love, so that I can seek the freedom of forgiving.
Amen