Mpho Tutu: Book Of Forgiving -Exclusive Interview
You may have also heard about The Forgiveness Challenge (http://www.ForgivenessChallenge.com) a free 30-day inspirational course that provides daily exercises to teach you how to forgive anyone for anything. It’s not very common for someone being interviewed to ask the first question. Reverend Mpho Tutu did exactly that and I became mesmerized and drawn into her peaceful “being” when she asked me: Reverend Mpho Tutu: Can we say a prayer to begin? Is that okay? Can I keep you? (As we both laugh)
Mpho Tutu: God of glory and grace. We thank you for all the beauty with which you surround us and we thank you for giving us hands to create beauty. We ask that you bless us within our hearts for whom we come in contact and we ask that we may be a source of blessing to them and also a source of blessing to us. Amen
OMTimes: Do you always start your interviews with a prayer?
Mpho Tutu: I think so. I’ve allowed a bit of silence sometimes. It’s centering time.
OMTimes: What is your definition of forgiveness?
Mpho Tutu: It’s only a working definition. You know that you’ve forgiven when you no longer wish the person who harmed you any ill will and in fact can wish them well. It’s when that person no longer has an effect on your life.
OMTimes: What about all the emotions that come from being harmed? Is anger okay?
Mpho Tutu: All feelings are okay. They are all valid. It’s not the feelings that are ever at issue, it’s what we do with them that’s the concern. Anger is an emotion and as such it’s valid. You don’t control how you feel and very often anger is carrying a message with it. It’s carrying the message that someone has done something that’s not okay and I am angry. Now what am I going to do with that anger? What am I going to do with that emotion? We don’t know how. We get the message that anger is wrong and bad and then we learn to stuff it and then it gets played out in ways that are unhealthy. There are healthy ways to feel anger.
OMTimes: So how do you start dealing with emotions in this journey of forgiveness?
