Forgiveness Has Changed: From Personal Wounds to Global Healing

Back When Forgiveness Was Personal

I started writing this blog in 2013 and wrote steadily about forgiveness for two years. Then I quit. It wasn’t that I lost interest in forgiveness—I just felt like I had said most of what I wanted to say.

Back then, forgiveness mostly meant working through our personal relationships. People felt betrayed by their spouses and boyfriends/girlfriends, upset with their children, angry at their parents or siblings, and frustrated or bullied by co-workers. Those personal hurts were the everyday emotional terrain many of us lived with. That’s what brought most of us to forgiveness work in the first place.

The Shift to Global Forgiveness

I always taught forgiveness on a larger scale too, and my book touches on forgiving the world and its events. But even then, the focus was mostly personal because that’s where people felt their pain most directly.

Now, it feels like everything has changed. The forgiveness issues many of us are wrestling with today are global.

We still experience pain in our closest relationships, of course. But now so much of the suffering we feel comes from watching what is happening in the world.

War. Cruelty. Famine. Indifference.
People turning away from compassion.
The collective heart seems tired and overwhelmed.

A World Divided

Perhaps the biggest forgiveness challenge of all today is the political divide. In the U.S. — and in many other countries — we are at war with one another. And it is heartbreaking to witness.

We are frustrated, angry, and disappointed with “the other side.” We are loud, reactive, and exhausted. We hurl insults, tolerate deception, and excuse cruelty, all in the name of politics. Everyone seems to believe that they alone know the truth — and anyone who disagrees must be ignorant or immoral.

It’s exhausting.
It’s painful.
And it’s spiritually draining.

Forgiving the World We Live In

I’ve already written about how to forgive world leaders who seem selfish, cruel, or power-hungry. It’s one of the most visited posts on this blog, and for good reason — it touches on something that feels almost impossible to do.

You can read it here:
→ Forgiving World Leaders

When I work with global forgiveness, I usually start there — at the top.
I forgive the powerful.
I forgive the decision-makers.
I forgive the public figures who seem to be driving division, harm, or suffering.

Then I work my way closer to home.
I forgive the supporters.
I forgive the people who are angry, scared, or misled.
I forgive the conversations that feel like a wall instead of a bridge.

And — this part is essential —
I forgive myself.

I forgive myself for my reactions.
I forgive myself for the ways I add to the conflict.
I forgive myself for forgetting to see the divine spark in others when everything feels overwhelming.

There is a clear, step-by-step forgiveness process in the Forgiving World Leaders post that can guide you through this. If you’d like to participate in this kind of healing work — for yourself and for the world — that post is a powerful place to begin.

Forgiving World Leaders

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash

Healing the Collective

A Course in Miracles teaches that when one person shifts from fear to love, thousands are affected.

This isn’t metaphor — it is how consciousness works.
Minds are joined. Hearts are connected. We influence each other, silently, without even speaking.

Your forgiveness is not just personal.
Your forgiveness is participatory.
It is your contribution to the healing of humanity.

One heart at peace creates more peace.
One mind that stops judging helps others soften, too.
One soul choosing love becomes a quiet light the world can feel.

Forgiveness is how we help heal the world — from the inside out.

Photo by Michael Thaxton on Unsplash

Want to go deeper into forgiveness and inner peace?

• Explore how forgiveness reconnects us to divine compassion in Unblocking our Connection to Love.

• My book, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness offers heartfelt guidance, spiritual tools, and real-life practices.

• Let daily affirmations support you — discover the Forgiveness Metta Card Deck for a gentle morning practice of peace and release.

• Browse more forgiveness tools, art, and daily reminders in our Etsy Shop →

• Want to receive free weekly forgiveness coaching emails? Sign up and get insights, tools, and inspiration to deepen your practice → Sign up here

Let these tools light your path — because forgiveness sets you free.
— Sue Pipal