I’m so glad I’ve made the decision to return to Unity after having been away for several years; it is my spiritual home, and it feels great to be back! One of the messages I’ve heard Rev. Kitty speak to over the past couple of Sundays is that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. That point has really resonated with me, especially as it relates to relationships.
As we all do, I experience conflict of varying degrees with others in my day-to-day activities, in business and in my personal life. When that happens, I like to refer back to a book I read by Colin Tipping entitled Radical Forgiveness. The concept of the book is to take an entirely new perspective when we find ourselves at odds with another, or feeling that someone has harmed or betrayed us in some way.
Rather than trying to get past it in an attempt to let bygones be bygones and forgive in the traditional sense, Tipping’s idea is that we consider we are spiritual beings having a human experience. When we find ourselves in conflict with others, consider that the other person is merely acting out a part that our souls agreed to before coming into this incarnation. This separation we experience is part of a predetermined divine plan for our spiritual growth.
This alternative way of processing has freed me from forgiving in the traditional sense, where I may have even continued to harbor negative feelings, to actually seeing others in a truly loving way and appreciate them for simply playing their part in my soul’s spiritual journey.
I am truly grateful to be back in the Unity community where Rev. Kitty reminds me of these healthier ways to live.
Peace, Todd Dietz
Board Member
