Forgiveness will not erase what happened or excuse harmful behavior, but it can free us from allowing the past to control the present. Holding on to anger, resentment, or revenge consumes emotional energy; forgiveness redirects that energy toward healing, growth, and sometimes renewed relationships. It does not require forgetting, reconciliation, or telling the person who hurt us that we forgive them. Sometimes forgiveness is simply deciding to stop carrying another person’s wrongdoing—a way of loosening the grip of the past and making room for something better to grow.
Irving Lubliner, Professor Emeritus at Southern Oregon University (SOU), taught mathematics for 40 years, at all levels, kindergarten through graduate school. He led workshops for teachers in 39 states and delivered over 350 conference presentations, including several keynote addresses. Since retiring in 2014, he has taught math, blues harmonica, and literature courses for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at SOU. In 2019, he published his mother’s Holocaust-themed writings (Only Hope: A Survivor’s Stories of the Holocaust, by Felicia Bornstein Lubliner) and has since shared her powerful stories in hundreds of presentations to teen and adult audiences nationwide.
Image credit: Relationship with the Land. Public domain. Created with OpenAI.
Share Your Voice. Lead a Sunday Service.
At UU Casper, Sunday services are a shared creation. We welcome members, friends, and guest speakers to lead services that reflect Unitarian Universalist values and our Seven Principles.
Do you have a story, reflection, spiritual practice, scientific knowledge, or justice topic to share? Whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned leader, we’ll support you every step of the way.
Visit Sunday Service Resources, for more information and guidance.
Contact Elizabeth Jo, Programming Chair, at programs@uucasper.org to sign up.
Let’s create something meaningful—together.
Topics: 1st Principle: inherent worth and dignity of every person, 2026-2027 Finding Our Path in Uncertain Times, 4th Principle: Search for Truth and Meaning, 7th Principle: Respect for All Existence