A friend shared this blog with me today, one person’s reflection on national allegiance and how countries choose to remember or release the darker parts of their histories. It’s beautifully written and offers parallels to our own country’s current choices. This quote from the German constitution speaks to so much:
Human dignity is inviolable … All persons are equal before the law … No person shall be favored or disfavored because of sex, parentage, race, language, homeland and origin, faith or religious or political opinions. No person shall be disfavored because of disability … There shall be no censorship.
Forgiveness work is powerful stuff. As I sat with the article and what arose, I found myself reflecting on how we as individuals have choices around honoring the forgiveness work and our own darker aspects.
At a recent training I attended, a woman shared her experience at Marianne Williamson’s Sister Giant conference in D.C. She said the most moving part was when Marianne Williamson spoke of cultural forgiveness work. As people stood to honor their religious identities and received her words of apology, tears streamed down thousands of faces. Even those who had no personal memories of hurts shared that they felt the healing of their previous generations moving through them.
In the synchronicity of things, Brené Brown has just released a course on the power of apologizing entitled Heartfelt. Our families, our communities, and our nations could all benefit deeply from forgiveness work at this time. If it feels right, I offer the opportunity to reflect on what you might need to offer or ask for forgiveness around.