Radical Forgiveness

Radical Forgiveness

Everywhere we lookÑin the newspapers, on TV, and even in our own personal livesÑwe see examples of people who have been egregiously victimized. We read, for example, that at least one in every five adults in America today was either physically or sexually abused as a child. TV news confirms that rape and murder are commonplace in our communities and crime against people and property is rampant everywhere. Around the world we see torture, repression, incarceration, genocide, and open warfare occurring on a vast scale.

In the early 1990s I began offering forgiveness workshops, cancer retreats, and corporate seminars. Since then I have heard enough horror stories from quite ordinary people to convince me that there is not a human being on the planet who has not been seriously victimized at least once, and in minor ways more times than they could count. Who among us can say they have never blamed someone else for their lack of happiness? For most if not all of us, blame is simply a way of life.

Indeed, the victim archetype is deeply ingrained in all of us, and it exerts great power in the mass consciousness. For eons we have played out victimhood in every aspect of our lives, convincing ourselves that victim consciousness is absolutely fundamental to the human condition. The time has come to ask ourselves this question: how can we stop creating our lives this way and let go of the victim archetype as the model for how to live?

To break free from such a powerful archetype, we must replace it with something radically differentÑsomething so compelling and spiritually liberating that it magnetizes us away from victimhood. We need something that will take us beyond the drama of our lives so we can see the big picture and the truth that, right now, lies hidden from us. When we awaken to that truth, we will understand the meaning of our suffering and be able to transform it immediately.

As we continue to move into the new millennium and prepare for the imminent next great leap in our spiritual evolution, it is essential that we adopt a way of living based not on fear, control, and abuse of power but on true forgiveness, unconditional love, and peace. That’s what I mean by something radical, and that is what my book is all about: helping us make that transition.

If we are to transform anything, we must be able to experience it completely and fully, which means that to transform the victim archetype, we must first experience victimhood fully. There is no shortcut! Therefore, we need situations in our lives that allow us to feel victimized so we can transform the energy through Radical Forgiveness.

© 2009 Colin Tipping

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