As mental health challenges are increasingly being recognized by the public, the question begins to arise — what can we do to improve our mental health?
One answer almost seems cliché, receive forgiveness and then give forgiveness.
“There are many of us who have circumstances from the past that haunt us, either from something that we have done or something that has been done to us.” Pastor Scott Holloway from Kindersley’s Redemption Baptist Church noted in a recent interview that simply “forgetting and moving on” isn’t always the best approach to a traumatic life event. “I have seen people who are still being victimized years after the event, simply because they can’t ‘forget and move on’, they need closure. Often, closure comes when the person receives and gives forgiveness, and once the person gets closure, their mental health improves.”
Interestingly enough, this idea is gaining momentum in the medical world as prestigious clinics like the Mayo clinic posted their findings on the effect forgiving has on physical health. The TIMES also ran an article noting the correlation between forgiveness and the ability to deal with normal daily stresses.
The Mayo Clinic reported that forgiveness can help people let go of bitterness and grudges, giving many physical benefits such as lower blood pressure, a stronger immune system, and improved heart health. It also noted that forgiveness lessens signs of depression and builds stronger self-esteem; both of which benefit mental health.
The TIMES article quoted a Loren Toussaint, an associate professor of phycology at Luther College in Iowa, as saying that forgiveness provides a “buffer” for life stresses. “If you don’t have forgiving tendencies, you feel the raw effects of stress in an unmitigated way.”
While speaking during a recent Bounce Back week at local schools, Pastor Holloway noted that one of his topics, forgiveness reached students in a tangible way, some were moved to tears, others became visibly angry. “Both of those emotions show how the topic of forgiveness is very close to the real issues at hand,” says Pastor Holloway. So, he has decided to run two workshops on forgiveness at the Redemption Baptist Church, located at 419 5th Avenue West in Kindersley on Tuesday, April 3 and April 10, each day starting at 7:30 p.m., childcare will be provided.
“So many people want to forgive or receive forgiveness, but they don’t know where to start.” Pastor Holloway says the sessions aim to give attendees a place to start as well as tools to support them in the journey of forgiveness. If people are not able to make it for the sessions in person, the sessions will be uploaded to the church’s website, redemptionbaptist.ca/resources/help for the hurting. For those interested in taking in the sessions, please contact Holloway at 306-460-4688 to register, drop-ins are also welcome.
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