Saint John's in the Village

Wednesday 14 April at 6.30pm

Public Conversation: Embracing Forgiveness in Unforgiving Times

Offered in partnership with the Spirituality & Flourishing Group in the Harvard Flourishing Network.

An evening for all who seek emotional healing, and deeper understanding.

In an era marked by intense pain, heightened outrage, and increased polarization, offering forgiveness can feel difficult, if not impossible. Yet across wisdom traditions and therapeutic frameworks, the act of forgiving is recognized as an indispensable and humane practice that restores and renews our relationships. It allows us to reclaim our personal agency, to loosen the grip grievance has on us, and to move toward more compassionate living. This talk will consider forgiveness as both a psychospiritual process and ethical stance that simultaneously refuses to absolve, normalize, or legitimate past, present, or future wrongdoing.

This public conversation invites everyone — seekers, believers, and skeptics alike — to explore what embracing forgiveness might mean in such fractured times. Drawing on psychological research, moral philosophy, and spiritual thought, Dr, Kelly Murphy Mason, a community minister and spiritual director, educator and psychotherapist, will help us explore forgiveness not as sentimental gesture, but as courageous and transformative work. We’ll discuss how committing ourselves to a forgiveness practice can open up possibilities for healing within ourselves and our communities.

Location: St. John’s in the Village, Greenwich Village, NYC & Livestreamed via Youtube
Date: April 14th, 2026 6:30 pm – 8:15 pm, followed by a reception from 8:15 pm – 9:00 pm
Admission: Open to the public
Cost: Free
Full details and registration here.