Dave Ogilvie
District men who attended the monthly breakfast this past Saturday (Feb. 19) at the Emo Legion were treated to an extremely interesting and informative speaker.
Dr. Daniel Klassen, professor emeritus in education at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, spoke about the power of forgiveness.
Forgiving others has been proven to be a critical process in helping people to resolve anger, relieve depression, and increase hopefulness. Learning how to forgive the people who offend us has found an important place in the therapeutic community, as well as in wellness literature.
“We all offend others and are, in turn, offended by the people around us,” noted Klassen.
“Therefore, we all need to learn how to forgive.”
Studies have shown that people who harbour anger and resentment have more stress-related health problems, lower-functioning immune systems, and more cases of heart disease than those who learn to forgive.
A recent national poll of Americans revealed that 94 percent of the general public feel it’s important to forgive others, yet only 48 percent actually attempt to forgive those who have offended them.
Klassen, as the founding therapist and practising counsellor at the “Listening Centre” in Thunder Bay, has seen similar results. Serving all of Northwestern Ontario, the centre assists individuals who have personal problems, family issues, or concerns at work.
“Too often people ignore the offence, pretend it didn’t happen, or minimize the situation in order to avoid their own negative feelings,” Klassen explained.
The only way to handle the anger and resentment is to work through the process of forgiveness.
What exactly does “forgiving” mean? According to Klassen and many authors, forgiving is letting go of the resentment, thoughts of revenge, and those bitter feelings that connect us to the one who has offended us.
Forgiveness, however, is not the same thing as reconciliation, Klassen stressed.
“The act of forgiveness must come first,” he remarked. “Reconciliation may happen at some point down the road, but they are definitely two different concepts.”
Although reconciliation is necessary to repair the relationship between the offender and the person who has been hurt, it is only the act of forgiveness that is required for the injured party to begin their journey to wellness.
Klassen’s presentation to those on hand for the monthly men’s breakfast left everyone with much to think about.
Although many questions remained unanswered, most agreed on one important point: learning to forgive is definitely worth the effort.
