Forgiveness for Good (continued)
by Emily Hansen
 

I am not the only one asking these questions. In fact, there is an enormous amount of research being done on forgiveness because of its beneficial relationship to physical and emotional health.

In a recent Newsweek article entitled “Forgive and Let Live,” authors Jordana Lewis and Jerry Adler report on what they describe as “one of the hottest fields of research in clinical psychology today.” The article describes findings that people who forgive exhibit better physical and mental health than those who harbor negative feelings. For example, those who were able to forgive their offender had lower rates of anxiety and depression, and one study showed that those who could forgive had reduced blood pressure and had fewer heart problems.

The Campaign for Forgiveness Research is a foundation dedicated to research on forgiveness and health. Everett Worthington, executive director of the foundation, leads studies that have shown specific physiological consequences of failing to forgive. “Every time you feel unforgiveness,” he says “you are more likely to develop a health problem.” The Newsweek article states that persistent unforgiveness, although part of human nature, works to the detriment of our physical health, and further reports that one study has tied unforgiveness to the immune system. The study examined individuals in both happy and troubled relationships, and found that the 20 people in troubled relationships had higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that is associated with weakened immune function.

 
This research goes on. At the American Psychological Association’s 108th annual convention psychologist Charlotte C. VanOyen-Witoliet offered some of her findings: “Those unable to forgive, regardless of whether the incident had occurred a long time ago, the offender had apologized, or even if the incident had not been very severe, showed higher blood pressure rather, tension around the eyes, increase in sweaty skin and overall higher stress levels.” She also suggested that hostile behavior is linked to heart disease and premature death. Now, I don’t believe they’re claiming that holding a grudge against the guy who cut you off on the highway will lead to a heart attack. But, when faced with one who has truly offended you or had a negative impact on your life, the point is made that you should forgive. Your body is better off if you do.

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Forgiveness is a leading characteristic of a follower of Christ. We are given this gift in our baptism, and we are called to work at exercising it throughout our journey as a Christian. Engaging the hurt was the work I needed to do to learn that the One who gave me my freedom from sin was also the One who would give forgiveness to those who had hurt me. God could, would, and did forgive the actions that led to my pain. Where I could not forgive, I came to the epiphany that God already had. I let go of the guilt I carried for not wanting to forgive them myself, and was released to live fully in my own baptismal promise of worth, validity, and love. It was a gift that gave me time to heal and to rediscover God’s action within me.

My heart is touched each time I sing the “Now the Feast” liturgy. The third stanza in the Hymn of Praise is most compelling: “For God has come to dwell with us, to make us people of God. To make all things new!”

Worship leads to the table of life, where we receive the body and blood of Christ that gives us the power to forgive and keep going. God will make all things new! From the cross of death we are given the food of life!

During my time of healing I participated in worship and received communion regularly. I was being filled with the bread and wine of forgiveness. We come to the table of Jesus as we are, in all of our humanity and sin. We are not asked to dress up our souls, to look good before we eat. Rather, we come as sinners to the table of Christ, believing Jesus sees all of who we are, and still wants to give us his life.
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