- Forgiveness is not about being a doormat
Forgiveness can be seen as weak or letting people who’ve hurt you off the hook. Lucy Winkett works as a minister in the heart of London’s Picadillly - she says forgiveness is not about being nice or acting like a doormat.
‘Forgiveness in the Christian tradition is more of a process than an event and it’s rooted in the hard work of facing the past…When I embark on a process of trying to forgive you or forgive myself, I’m taking a deep breath and turning my face towards the past that I know I can’t change. It’s not weak, it’s strong.’
- Forgiveness oils the wheels of your friendships
The writer Martin Wroe says ‘forgiveness is as mysterious as love or compassion - it won’t be forced and it isn’t compulsory’, but it can be something to think about applying to friendships where the hinges have got a bit rusty, a bit like oil, Martin says ‘it might stop the doors from falling off altogether’. He goes on to quote the poet David White ‘All friendships are based on a continuous mutual forgiveness.'