6 Canadian Mennonite February 22, 2010
Mary Lou Klassen lives
The powerful aspect of our group is that we offer and works in Kitchener-
as a gift the truth of our traditions to each other Waterloo, Ont., as a
student of theology
as a filter through which we view the films. and as an assistant
is meaningful to me because my sisters gifts from this diverse and interesting to Conrad Grebel
from other faith traditions help me see and committed group of women, I am University College’s
something about my own tradition in a challenged to return to my Christian peace and conflict
new light. faith with a deeper understanding, and studies program. She is a member of
During our last film night, we encouraged to live more faithfully from Waterloo North Mennonite Church.
watched the documentary The Power of within it. l
Forgiveness, that portrays the possibil-
ities of forgiveness from the perspectives
of different religions, as well as from a
scientific perspective.
What my Buddhist friends
have taught me
It was our Jewish friend who pointed
out from her tradition that forgiveness
on a human scale is limited. I can only
forgive someone for what they have done
to me personally. It is beyond my human By Jessica Reesor
ability to forgive a person for crimes
N
outside of my personal experience. I early a year ago, I stepped off or, more to the point, anything I fear my
took this to mean that individual Jews an airplane and onto Canadian friends won’t like or understand.
can forgive individual Nazi collaborators soil for the first time since I As North American Christians, we
who hurt them personally during the had begun my 11-month adventure with often fall into the trap of thinking that in
Holocaust, but it is beyond their power to Mennonite Central Committee’s Serving order to be inclusive of people of other
forgive the Nazis as a group. and Learning Together (SALT) program faiths, or those of no faith, we need to
Sometimes I feel that our Christian in Laos. water down our religious practices and
tradition trivializes forgiveness and The time I spent there may be slipping confessions of faith until they become
aims for it too quickly and too easily. My farther into the past with every passing