An interview with Mary Noble by Marion Verweij, the Netherlands
Forgiveness is a word we use often but rarely do we stop and dwell upon the depth of healing and updating, of liberation and connection that true forgiveness can cause. Whilst conducting seminars on gender relations Mary Noble found herself dwelling increasingly on this vital quality, and incorporating her work into the seminars. In this interview she talks about the process she continues to have with something she has come to see as vital for the future of the human race.
Question: What started your interest in the whole area of forgiveness?
For all people it’s an issue that you meet very early on in life, first with siblings, parents, and so on. This can be different for each individual but whatever one’s personal experience forgiveness has its need.
However, I would say that I only really became acutely aware of it in my 20’s and 30’s when I came across issues that you can’t easily walk away from such as betrayal, the breaking of loyalty etc. For example a long term relationship breaks up or someone betrays you or lets you down. As you go through life, building more serious and long term relationships, so things have more of an impact on you. Hurt in relationships can cause much bigger ripples.
In my own case the most vivid first memory of needing to find forgiveness was after the break up of my first marriage. I was presented with a stark choice: was I going to hold on to anger and pain and bitterness, or was I going to let go? Holding onto those things was poisoning my life and that was not how I wanted my life to be. I think that there is a moment that comes with that realisation; it’s like a s