In what can be an unforgiving universe, we’ve figured out ways of creating forgiveness.  We had to, we can’t exist without it.

‘You need to be generous with yourself in order to receive the love that surrounds you.’*

I found myself contemplating how forgiveness is just so crucial to human existence, including how it’s a really big deal in many of the world’s religions – humans needing to be forgiven by their gods, either conditionally or unconditionally, embodying this in all manner of rites and rituals.

More than this, I found myself positing how these might be understand to be our explorations into forgiveness.  How humans, amongst all of the higher species, have developed concepts and expression of forgiveness most of all.  It appears to be a fundamental expression within the human ability to step outside of natural selection.

‘Be aware of your breathing.  Being aware of your breathing takes attention away from thinking and creates space.  It is a way of generating consciousness.’**

We can be restricted, or worse, paralysed, by a lack of forgiveness.  We still function.  We move, work, relate, holiday, shop, and play sports, but we don’t notice how some things have become closed to us, whilst others have become more of a rut.  Like breathing, we hardly notice the atmosphere in which we’re immersed – until we stop and allow awareness to form in us.

And in becoming aware, we open up new paths.

‘Failing gracefully is part of the deal.’^

We’re surrounded by unforgiving situations.  Ben Zander recounts how, in his world of music, so many conductors lead in an autocratic way, unwilling to admit their own mistakes, and how:

‘Many corporate heads and managers I have spoken to have since let me know that the orchestra is not the only hierarchical setting where this dynamic occurs.’^^

This is the atmosphere we’re all immersed in.  Those who are not prepared to admit they’re wrong, forgive themselves, and receive the forgiveness of others perpetuate unforgiveness out to others.

Forgiveness doesn’t overlook wrongs, but provides an environment in which people open their minds (to see what is what), and also their hearts and wills – meaning they change and behave differently.

Here’s a whole day in which to give it a test run.

(*John O’Donohue, quoted in the Northumbria Community‘s Morning Prayer, 8/4/16)
(**From Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth.)
(^From Seth Godin’s Graceful.)
(^^From Rosamund and Benjamin Zander’s The Art of Possibility.)