Wednesday, October 10, 2012

F-You


Those of you who are regular readers know that I have a fascination with the subject of forgiveness. Part of this comes from the central message of forgiving love of Christ. And practically speaking it is one of the foremost presenting issues of pastoral care. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that I have been part of hundreds of conversations about aspects of forgiveness through the years.  These include long-harboured family wounds, a sense that a person simply couldn't be forgiven by God or victims or themselves for the wrongs they have committed, not to mention the desire for good ol' revenge.

I went to my bookshelves and found 16 books on forgiveness, along with a couple of very good DVD series. Some are written by evangelicals in a folksy way, others are penned by serious scholars on the subject.  Several are by people who have no religious affiliation but see the value of reconciliation and forgiveness. All of them have something to offer.

I was intrigued by a radio interview with someone in Toronto involved with F-You: The Forgiveness Project. If this conjures up a nasty profane phrase it is meant to. The hope of those involved is that over time F-You would come to mean Forgive You rather than...you get it. It seems that the idea is to bring people together for conversation and reconciliation.

In Britain F-You includes a photo project that I hope comes here:

The F Word: Images of Forgiveness exhibition is a thought provoking collection of arresting images and personal narratives exploring forgiveness in the face of atrocity. First launched in London in 2004, it has since been displayed in over 300 venues worldwide. Drawing together voices from South Africa, America, Israel, Palestine, Northern Ireland and England, the exhibition examines forgiveness as a healing process, a journey out of victimhood and, ultimately, a journey of hope.

http://theforgivenessproject.com/projects/films/
http://theforgivenessproject.com/

What do you think about this? Is it too rude or a worthwhile reframing of F-You? How are your personal forgiveness projects going?
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2 comments:

  1. roger7:20 PM

    I think I am able to forgive in most cases, however like most people, I find it difficult to forgive those who betray me in the most reprehensible ways.

    I have a Nelson Mandela quote that I look at often, which I find to be helpful. He said, "resentment is like drinking poison and hoping it will kill your enemies."

    So very true!

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  2. Laura10:33 AM

    Work in progress, I'd say.
    Thanks for that quote, Roger...a good reminder.

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