SPECTRUM OF LIGHT
GRACE
The unmerited love and favor of God toward man.
A sense of what is right and proper, decency.
Mercy, goodwill, thoughtfulness toward others, freely given with no expectation in return.
To bring honor to, dignify
An attractive quality, feature, or manner.
GRACE
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Grace is an element of love and one of the highest expressions of grace is the act of forgiveness. Forgiveness calms stress levels leading to improved health.
Chronic anger puts people into the flight or flight chemistry, having an effect on heart rate, blood pressure, and immune response. These effects, in turn, increase the risk of depression heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions (Karen Swartz, MD, director of Mood Disorders Adult Consultation Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital).
Research at Duke University, University of Tennessee and Stanford University, supplemented by information available via WebMD, demonstrates that people who are able to forgive can actually modify their heart rate, lower blood pressure, decrease physical pain, relieve depression, strengthen their immune system, decrease the stress hormones circulating in their bodies, decrease back pain, stomach problems, and headaches. This is a remarkable list of physical symptoms that are affected by holding on to anger, bitterness, and resentment. Emotional wounds can hinder someone’s reactions to treatment for physical conditions. Forgiveness therapy is now an integral part of treatment at the Cancer Centers of America.
Forgiveness Research by Enright at the UW Madison showed the following benefits. Forgiveness in this research was defined as giving gifts of acceptance, generosity and love to the wrong-doer:
Incest survivors decreased depression, anxiety and increased hope
Substance-dependent need for drugs declined substantially
Cardiac patients reduced risk of chest pain and sudden death
Emotionally abused women decreased anxiety, depression and PTSD
At-risk students, from different cultures and ages, decreased anger and increased academic achievement
It aids cancer patients in their recovery
Two Models of Forgiveness: Enright and Everett L. Worthington
Enright:
Preliminaries (who hurt you, what were circumstances at the time etc)
Phase 1: Uncovering your anger: avoidance, fears of exposing guilt, shame -- has the incident caused a permanent change in your life of changed your worldview
Phase 2: Deciding to forgive: acknowledge that what you’ve been doing hasn’t worked, be willing to being the forgiveness process and make a decision to forgive
Phase 3: Working on Forgiveness; work toward understanding, compassion, accept the pain and give the offender a gift
Phase 4: Discovery and Release from Emotional Prison: discover meaning of suffering, our need for forgiveness, we’re not alone, what is our life purpose and how forgiveness is freedom
REACH Model - Everett. L. Worthington, Jr. (first-hand experience, his elderly mother was murdered with a crowbar) Evidence-based curriculum available:
R: Recall the hurt objectively, without blame and self-victimization
E: Empathize by trying to imagine the viewpoint of the person who wronged you
A: Access Altruism by thinking about a time you were forgiven and how that felt
C: Commit to forgiveness instead of putting it off
H: Hold on to forgiveness without turning back
Science is demonstrating that Forgiveness, Kindness, Gratitude and Purpose may be as important as the pillars of nutrition and physical activity in contributing to whole person health. Unresolved disappointments, conflicts and hurts create barriers to well-being and decrease engagement with wellness activities and positivity.
The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) has noted that, “we are coming to understand health as a process by which individuals maintain their sense of coherence and meaning in life in the face of changes in themselves, such as illness. Spirituality can be seen as the part of people that sees coherence, meaning, and purpose in their lives.” The Role of Spirituality in Health Care, Christina M. Puchalski, MD, MS 2001.
The FICA evidence-based Questionnaire was developed by Puchalski to address a whole person well-being approach with patients:
F: Faith and Belief: Are there spiritual beliefs that help you cope with stress or difficult times. What gives your life meaning?
I: Importance and Influence: Is spirituality important in your life? What influence does it have on how you take care of yourself? Are there any particular decisions regarding your health that might be affected by these beliefs?
C: Community: Are you part of a religious or spiritual community?
A: Action: Based on this information what resources or follow-up activities might you share
Change Your World: Build a Daily Kindness Practice
A recent study conducted by the surveyed 2700 college students from 5 countries to progressively narrow down which characteristics were most important to them in a lifetime mate. The one trait that emerged from all cultures was kindness.
Practice 5 acts of kindness daily and write down your experiences at the end of the day for a month. These can be seemingly small acts such as an encouraging word, a smile, opening a door, etc.
Kindness, Volunteerism, Benevolence:
People who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease. People 55 and older who volunteer for TWO or more organizations have an impressive 44% lower likelihood of dying early, and that's after sifting out every other contributing factor including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status and many more. This is a stronger effect than exercising four times per week or going to church - Christine Carter, Author, “Raising Happiness, in Pursuit of Joyful Kids and Happier Parents”
The positive effects of kindness are experienced in the brain of everyone who witnessed the act, improving their mood and making them significantly more likely to pay it forward. This means one good deed in a crowded area can create a domino effect and improve the day of dozens of people. Jamil Zaki, Asst professor of Psych, Stanford U. for Scientific American
Witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, occasionally referred to as the love hormone, which aids in lowering blood pressure and improving overall heart health. Natalie Angler, NYTimes
According to research from Emory University, when you are kind to another person, your brain’s pleasure and reward centers light up, as if you were the recipient of the good deed—not the giver.
Like most medical antidepressants, kindness stimulated the production of serotonin. This feel-good chemical heals your wounds, calms your down, and makes you happy. Talya Steinberg PsyD for Psychology Today
Perpetually kind people have 23% less cortisol and age slower than the average population.
Stephen Post of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that when we give of ourselves, life satisfaction is significantly improved. Mortality is delayed, depression is reduced, and well-being is increased.
A 2010 Harvard business School survey of happiness in 136 countries found that people who are altruistic—in this case people who were generous financially, such as with charitable donations—were happiest overall.
GRACE
WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS
MATTHEW 5:43
You have heard it said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled,
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy,
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,
Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called the sons and daughters of God,
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
This beautiful and challenging discourse given by Jesus on the Mount of Beatitude is meant to shift perspective. Its focus is on the condition of the human heart—something we don’t always understand about ourselves. Rather than the external measures we often use to determine success, such as achievements and material attainments, Jesus points the multitude to more significant matters of the spirit. We may be able to make ourselves look good on the outside and live the ‘good life,’ but all human attainment will eventually pass away. The qualities of grace, humility, mercy, purity of heart and peace are of more weighty and eternal value.
REFLECTION
Have you been harboring any bitterness or ill-will over something that seems unforgivable? It may be time to shift perspective and let grace prevail. Bitterness steals joy from life and carries many health consequences with it.