Our Forgiveness Blog

“I Forgive You” – True Stories of Forgiveness

In an effort to facilitate healing through forgiveness, the gmc television network will air a documentary series called “I Forgive You” that premieres Nov. 18.

This emotional, uplifting and compelling series provides individuals the opportunity to forgive someone who has hurt them or a loved one. Whether the affliction is physical or emotional–the murder of a family member, an estranged parent, or sibling, infidelity, or bullying–the series brings two parties together to try to facilitate healing, overcome hatred, anger and revenge from real-life traumatizing events. Each story will showcase the “forgiver” and the “receiver” of the forgiveness before, during and after an act of forgiveness.

“I don’t know of anywhere on television where you get to see the raw, gripping emotions that stem from the act of forgiveness,” Brad Siegel, gmc TV’s vice chairman said of the network’s first unscripted series.

According to Emmy-winning producer Arnold Shapiro, “Forgiveness has the drama of any Shakespearean play. There is suspense, emotion, drama, uncertainty…. tears.”
Siegel added, “Viewers will come away from “I Forgive You” feeling enriched, inspired and amazed at these true stories that show the best in human nature.”

The gmc channel is available on Dish Network on channel 188, on DIRECTV channel 338, Verizon FiOS channel 224 and on many local cable networks. Newsmagazine Hollywood Today outlines the series at “Forgiveness is a complicated gesture.” Channel Guide Magazine provides summaries of the stories in the Nov. 18 premiere at “Bullying, murder victims offer forgiveness in GMC’s ‘I Forgive You.'” Watch video outtakes from the series at the gmc (uplifting entertainment) website.

Former Miss South Carolina Forgives Her Sister’s Killer

Statesville Record and Landmark, Statesville, NC – It would be easy to understand if Dawn Smith Jordan talked about sadness, anger, even vengeance.

Instead, the former Miss South Carolina chooses to speak of serenity, faith and forgiveness.

That was tough for Dawn to do at the age of 21 when her 17-year-old sister, Shari, was kidnapped from the driveway of her Lexington, S.C., home and murdered in 1985.

During the five days between the kidnapping and when her sister’s body was found, the killer called the Smiths eight times, each time talking with Dawn. He told her he planned on doing the same thing to her that he did to Shari.

Several years later, with the killer on death row, Dawn decided she needed to forgive. “You can’t live your life to the fullest if you’re stuck in unforgiveness,” she said.

Dawn said she learned about forgiveness from her mother. “She lost her daughter in a horrific manner and she forgave. She pressed on because she had two other children that needed her,” she said.

Dawn, who shares her forgiveness philosophy as a Christian singer, songwriter, author and speaker, is also the founder of Dawn Smith Jordan Ministries, Inc. According to her website, Dawn has learned “to not only forgive her sister’s murderer, but to daily choose forgiveness as a path to healing and wholeness. The brightest future will always be based not on a forgotten past, but on a forgiven past.”

Read more about Dawn’s decision to forgive: “Message of forgiveness buoys her, decades after tragedy” 0r visit her website. 

Why Forgive?

Here are some reasons to forgive:

1) so that I will feel better.

2) so that the other person, in seeing mercy in me, might change course and start having mercy.

3) so that the one who offended me and I might reconcile.

4) so that I might be an example for others.

5) so that I can grow in the virtue of forgiving and become a forgiving person.

6) so that I can get proficient enough in this virtue to be able to pass it along to others.

7) just because. Extending goodness is good in and of itself.

Of all of these reasons, #7 shows the intrinsic beauty of forgiveness. All others also are honorable because they recognize the importance of persons and of relationships. Even #1 is a good reason and is not self-serving if I am trying to get better so that I can give goodness to others and not just to the self.

Which of the seven reasons describes you the best?

For more reasons why forgiveness is the right thing to do physically, spiritually and socially, visit the Why Forgive section of this website.

Dr. Bob

Do You Want to Become a Forgiving Person?

Part of being a forgiving person is to know the forgiveness process and to practice it. As you understand that process more and more and become comfortable with it, you will find that this is a good beginning to being a forgiving person. At the same time, practice and feeling comfortable with this practice is not enough to transform yourself into a genuinely forgiving person. You will need to begin to foster a sense of deep connection with forgiveness. As an analogy, people can spend their whole lives working at a job or a profession but not really connect in a deep way with it. “I am someone who goes into nursing homes, does what I am told, and gets a paycheck,” is one way to see oneself. “I am someone who serves the elderly. That is not just what I do. It is a part of who I am.” This thought is much deeper than the first one. Can you begin practicing forgiveness regularly and deeply enough so that it becomes a part of you?

Enright, Robert D. (2012-07-05). The Forgiving Life (APA Lifetools) (Kindle Locations 1534-1542). American Psychological Association. Kindle Edition.

Extending the Love of Forgiveness in New Directions

As we practice the love of forgiveness, don’t be surprised if that love spills over into other areas of your life. Here is one heart warming story that a friend, who practices forgiveness daily, told to me: