An excellent article has just appeared on the
Maxim Institute website called,
Healing interpersonal wounds: a case for forgiveness. It's written by
Myron and Genista Friesen.
In this article they discuss the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, and how the two don't necessarily go hand in hand: we can forgive without being reconciled, and in some cases can be reconciled without forgiveness arising. They look at different situations where forgiveness has been offered when it seemed the most unlikely thing to do (such as when the Amish community at Nickel Mines, PA, had several of its children murdered by a gunman) and the way in which forgiveness is increasingly being explored within the research community. (Closer to home there have been
instances of Pacific Island communities forgiving those who've murdered one of their own, and of course the
Sycamore Tree project in prisons is a prime example of forgiveness and reconciliation at work.)
Myron Friesen is currently a research fellow with the department of psychology at the University of Canterbury. His Masters and PhD research focused on forgiveness in individuals and couples. His wife, Genista, is an Occupational Therapist and aspiring children's author. They have been married for 18 years, have two sons, and currently reside in Christchurch.
