Total absolution forgiveness is an idea whose time has come. I believe we can all agree that forgiveness has been around for a long time.  However, deep forgiveness has yet to be used widely as the default strategy for daily life.  In many cases, we can forgive, or say we can forgive, but we do not forget.  Forgive and forget is too difficult for most people, even the best of us.

Tuesdays With Tu Bears

I want to acknowledge Tu Bears, my friend, whom I meet with every Tuesday for coffee and conversation, as the person who first used this term as we talked about human forgiveness.  She equates total absolution forgiveness with deep forgiveness.  Tu Bears believes deep forgiveness is required in today’s world of unintentional rudeness, disrespectful language, and discourteous behavior.  I agree with her.

Tu Bears used the term absolution because she knew I was Catholic and that the Catholic Church used absolution in its religious practice.  Tu Bears was correct.  I grew up in Philadelphia, and I went to Catholic grade school. We used to go to Confession once a week or every other week.  In those years, the Catholic Church called Confession, the Sacrament of Penance.  We told our sins to a priest, and the priest absolved us of our sins or forgave us in the name of God.  Today, the Catholic Church calls Penance or Confession, the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  A term I find less than satisfactory.  I have always preferred Confession because it is easier for me to understand.

As Tu Bears and I discussed my Catholic upbringing and weekly Confession, I thought of a unique analogy that captures for me the essence of what total absolution forgiveness means. At the end of the class day, our grade-school teacher, who was a nun, would ask one of us to stay behind to clean the blackboards. I have done that many times. I would wipe the blackboards with a wet cloth and make them spotless and clean for the next day’s lessons.  Total absolution forgiveness does the same for human relationships.

Call To Action

Here is an action for consideration. The next time you forgive someone, try to remember total absolution forgiveness and forgive the offender, totally and completely. Put more simply, forgive and forget, and move on.

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