Freedom, Fear and Forgiveness

Reflections on the
15^th Anniversary of 9-11

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the attack on Pearl Harbor, a shocked nation listened to his resonant voice on the radio with the words “a day that will live in infamy”. Americans were horrified that without a formal declaration of war, Japan would attack a US Military base in Hawaii. As most of us remember from our history class, if not from our own lives, the surprise nature of the attack without the prior declaration of war was a part of the horror. War had in that event, become different. The old rules no longer applied. It marked a change in how the world worked and required an adjustment in the thinking of not just Americans, but the whole world.

This was also true, on 9-11 as the world watched domestic airplanes filled with peaceful passengers crash into the World Trade Center. Not only was the sudden assault an act of war, but it was an act of war without a clear opponent in a war. Victims were not citizens of a country, but symbols of a society against which a group of people, not a government had created a war, with no declaration or even clear purpose that we could understand.

The fact that this event was watched through the day and night courtesy of 24-hour news coverage made this unique in the history of civilization. An act of war, an act of unspeakable terror was right there with us in our homes. Where we were and what we were doing when the planes hit the towers and then even more unthinkable when the towers collapsed became a part of our ordinary life. The terror, the horror, and the fear this engendered affected everyone in the country and indeed most people in the world. In addition, due to the media, as we relived the experience repeatedly we became a society suffering from Post Traumatic Stress.

That the fear has lingered is not surprising. That the blame has extended to an entire religious group instead of a group of fanatic individuals is potentially one of the most dangerous aspects of the after effects of 9-11 as it is this factor that most threatens our freedom. This fear now threatens to destroy what has made America a people unique in the history of civilization.

This threat to our freedom comes not from the outside world but from our response to our own fears. We must as a people now learn to transcend our fear without offering up our liberty. We must with vigilance and the distance of the passing years look at the effects that terrorism has had on our life and our society and re-evaluate how much power we wish to give our attackers to destroy our values.

As one of our Founding Father’s Benjamin Franklin once commented, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

If we allow our fear to erode our liberties we have surrendered what is most valued and the terrorists would have won a victory that the Nazis and the Communists failed to win. See article “Did Osama Win” by Andrew Sullivan in Newsweek September 4, 2011.

Freedom of religion is a key principle upon which our country was founded. If that principle were reinterpreted to only grant that freedom to popular regions, what it means to be an American and to live in America would be lost. As High School Civics teachers have taught for generations we must preserve freedom for everyone, because the logical consequence of loss of anyone’s liberty is the loss of everyone’s liberty.

Therefore, as we face this milestone of unspeakable horror it is necessary that we begin to focus our efforts upon releasing the fear that terrorism generates in us. Releasing Fear and learning to transcend and transmute our fears is one of the most profound, powerful and life changing aspects of transforming our consciousness.

Downloadable on my website is a visualization (called “Feeling Free“) to help you transmute fear and other negative emotions. This crucial time when our fear is being refreshed with all of the media coverage about 9-11 is a perfect time to begin releasing the fear that this event may have engendered.

Finally, to free your country from the residuals of terrorism you must begin a process of healing. Healing ultimately is enhanced by forgiveness. We have seen the failure of revenge. As Mohandas Gandhi once stated,

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.

It is time to let the past be in the past.

It is time as a people to put the fears and the horrors of terrorism behind us and as we begin the rebuilding of our lands and lives remember to rebuild our faith and confidence in our world. It is time to renew in our hearts and minds the freedoms that we have worked so hard to achieve. We can conquer our fears, honor our liberties and our values, and learn to forgive. Yes, even the unforgiveable.

If it were not unforgivable, true forgiveness would not be required.
— Genevieve Gerard

When my friend Alan Scherr was killed, along with his 13-year-old daughter Naomi, in the Mumbai Massacres at the Oberio Hotel his wife Kia formed an organization to honor the sacredness of life. Her leadership in response to her loss is a powerful force in the world to bring peace and transformation out of sorrow and loss. For more information on forgiveness visit her site “One Life Alliance” here.

As our thoughts go to the families who have lost loved ones, let us pray for the healing of the families, the healing of our nation and the healing of the world, that today marks the moment when we as a people move forward to greater understanding of those who live life differently from us with the realization that we are more alike than different and we are ultimately one people, in one world. Peace best serves us all.

Blessings,

Genevieve

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Thoughts on Forgiving

Genevieve Gerard

Thoughts on Forgiving

This morning I was reviewing the comments made to my Blogs and I noticed something very interesting. Every Blog except the blog post on “What is Forgiveness” had comments. Many of the Blogs had a significant number of comments.

This observation made me wonder why. Is it because we find it hard to forgive? Is it because we do not understand the importance of forgiveness in our life?

Forgiving is one of the most profound and powerful things we can do. It is life changing. It can relieve us from carrying an unbearable burden. It can free us to be in the now. It can remove the filters of illusion from our sight and allow us clear vision. It is a significant tool to transforming our lives. It frees us to experience the joy that is in our life. It increases our awareness of our many blessings. It is special because it simultaneous benefits us when we give to another. Forgiving ourselves is one of the keys to living a joyful and fulfilling life.

It is not easy to forgive, but when you do so the reward far outweighs the effort.

So… Since no one had commented on this blog post since I wrote it in June I decided to write an article on Forgivess: The Key to Freedom and Happiness.

You can read it here
https://genevievegerard.com/articles/key-to-freedom-and-happiness

Let me know what you think!

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Key to Freedom and Happiness

Genevieve Gerard

Forgiveness: The Key to Freedom and Happiness

by Genevieve Gerard

I often said I would write an article entitled “Forgiveness, the Ultimate Act of Selfishness.” However, this morning as I sit down to write it seems a more appropriate title would be “Forgiveness: The Key to Freedom and Happiness.” We have all seen the results of a failure to forgive in mean, embittered old people who live lonely lives, blaming others for their misery and their lot in life.

Shakespeare shared his insight on forgiveness’ grace in these lines from the
Merchant of Venice:

“The quality of mercy is not strain’d,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”[1]

Forgiveness may be a blessing to the one you forgive, but to you it offers a healing and freedom to move forward in your life that is much more powerful for you than it is for the one who is forgiven.

When I have said this to people they frequently ask if forgiveness is warranted even when someone has done something that is unforgivable. They ponder whether it is right to forgive someone of a truly heinous act. My answer to this is always a resounding yes. In forgiving someone there is always the possibility that the grace of forgiveness will allow them to truly see the error of their ways and thus bring about transformation.

However, far more important is the grace that forgiveness offers you in freedom from the burdens of anger, hate, resentment, or sorrow that is harbored inside of you. Carrying these old feelings burdens you in the present. If past wrongs are continually brought into present time they are never really over. As long as you carry the burden of your anger, hate and resentment the past is dominating your present. You become inextricably bound to that old wrong as you carry it with you into the present, into the now. By not forgiving and letting go, you allow the old wrong or hurt to color your whole life.

It is reminisant of an old Zen parable from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones called “The Muddy Road” about Tanzan and Ekido, two Buddhist monks, who were renunciates.

Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was falling. Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection. “Come on, girl” said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms he carried her over the mud. Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he could no longer restrain himself. “We monks don’t go near females” he told Tanzan, “especially not young and beautiful ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?”

“I left the girl there.” said Tanzan. “Are you still carrying her?”

So it is with us when we fail to forgive past wrongs. We are required to carry them long beyond their time. If you fail to forgive, the past limits your ability to fully appreciate and experience the gifts of the present, because these old harbored wrongs are filling your present time with useless baggage from another time and place. In order to fully experience the freedom and the happiness that is granted to those who live in the now, it is necessary to let go of what you are bringing with you that is not a part of the now. To do this you must forgive the people who caused all the old hurts, wrongs or resentments you are carrying with you.

Of course, there is often another element that must be faced. In order to fully forgive you must make an honest assessment of any responsibility you may have had in the situation that resulted in your being hurt. If after an honest assessment you find that you share any of the blame in bringing about this situation, you also must forgive yourself.

One final step in any situation where you find mutual responsibility is to allow yourself to be forgiven by the other. All that is required is simply your openness to the energy of forgiveness from the other and does not require their active participation.

Forgiveness of old hurts and forgiveness of yourself is like dropping a heavy load that you have carried for far too long. Once you have let go of it you may well find yourself wondering why you chose to carry it for so long. Once you have let go of the old hurts, resentments and pains you will be free to experience what is happening and what is possible in the now.

There is a tremendous freedom that comes from being able to cope with the challenges of the now, in the now. Burdens are lightened and your perspective becomes clearer. Today’s challenges become sufficient for today. And, at last, you have the freedom to live your life fully, one day at a time, one moment at a time, blessed by the freedom of the eternal now.

About the author: Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of the soul.” Browse her body of work at www.GenevieveGerard.com.

[1] The Merchant of Venice, Act 4 Scene 1

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What is Forgiveness

Genevieve Gerard

What is Forgiveness

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful and significant of spiritual tools to transform your life. Forgiveness is an act that has a dual benefit. It benefits the one who forgives and the one who is forgiven. It is freeing and releasing.

Forgiving releases old attachment to the past and frees you to enter into present time. By forgiving, you open the opportunity for a positive change in your perspective, your understanding and your consciousness. You create the possibility for a new and better way for things to be.

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