Power of Forgiveness to air on public television

Earlier this week in Washington D.C., Thomas Moore spoke about the power of forgiveness, as a panel member, with filmmaker Martin Doblmeier and author Kenneth Briggs, whose projects about forgiveness include Moore’s participation. This month, the Fetzer Institute, a nonprofit foundation in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sponsors release of The Power of Forgiveness on public television, as a feature of its Campaign for Love & Forgiveness.

"The word 'forgiveness' may be the most provocative word in our culture today," says Doblmeier. "There is an underlying anger in our country that we see regularly in our movies, in the news, even on our highways. For some that anger is acceptable. Others are calling for a new direction in our thinking and the way we interact with others. Forgiveness offers a solid first step."

"Taking its theme and key resources from the film, Briggs' book points in a direction of its own: probing religious meanings of the process of forgiveness, including the pacifist option; testing the complexities and limits of forgiving; considering the difficulties of actually carrying it out; and examining the scientific claims about the health benefits of forgiveness."

The notice, about the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness's sponsorship, says the web site offers downloadable discussion guides for the film, information on the outreach efforts of the seven public television stations and their community partners, suggested daily practices of love and forgiveness, resource lists, audio recordings provided by StoryCorps, and a place to submit personal stories of forgiveness.

The Fetzer Institute, with its mission "to foster awareness of the power of love and forgiveness in the emerging global community" is convinced "efforts to address the world's critical issues must go beyond political, social, and economic strategies to their psychological and spiritual roots."