A director of pastoral care in Cancer Treatment Centers in America (CTCA) has spoken of his experiences with cancer patients in a recent serminar on Forgiveness, in Washington, DC.

|QUOTE|The Rev. Dr. Michael Barry, director of pastoral care at Cancer Treatment Centers in America, spoke of not only the health benefits of forgiveness, but the necessity of forgiveness for ones who claim to be followers of Christ.

"All I'm saying is that we are called to engage in godliness; and what is more godly than forgiving?" said Barry, who specializes in the connection between spirituality and health.

The former pastor of a Chicago church defines forgiveness as taking all the negative emotions and replacing them with positive emotions. He recognizes that forgiveness is not the same as forgetting.

"When you go through the forgiveness process - I can promise you if you humbly attend to the process of forgiveness - God will honor your faithful attempt and pull the pain out of your memory," said Barry.

The Forgiveness Seminar discussed how not forgiving and holding onto anger lead to higher blood pressure, psychological problems, and a decrease in the immune system's ability to fight illnesses, which Barry describes as "an accident waiting to happen."

"Prayer is a key component to forgiveness," explained the pastoral care director. "We have people ponder the Scriptures on forgiveness and ask God to reveal to them the truth that will set them free from their pain."

Barry used the analogy of a brick and the Great Wall of China to explain sin and forgiveness. He said if each of his sins was a brick then it would be the size of the Great Wall of China. The forgiveness counselor asked the audience if God can forgive their sins the size of the Great Wall of China, if they can find it in their hearts to forgive a person a bricks-worth.

"If we are saved, we are saved by grace" said Barry. "What would the world be like if it was more forgiving?".

To find out more, contact him by email, michael.barry@ctca-hope.com.