Preparation for Forgiveness According to Pedagogy of Unity

Abstract

The 35th World Youth Days held in Kraków (July 2016) showed a great potential of faith and delight in life of thousands of young people from all over the world. Simultaneously, this event has revealed their deep yearning for transcendence which the most visible manifestation is searching for love as a permanent value on which one may build their life in every reality. On the other hand, it is hard not to notice the great extent to which young people, especially of Western culture, are existentially lost due to a lack of role models, and their behaviour show a growing feeling of being misunderstood resulting from feeling alone “in the crowd”, while their choices reveal the chaos they experience in the sphere of values and religion. Several question emerge in the face of such reality: How should education be directed to build the foundations for development of a human being growing up in the present times? “To let go of anger, wrath, violence, and revenge are necessary conditions to living joyfully” – says Pope Francis (Misericordiae Vultus). Therefore, what should be the basis for an educational relation so that its fruits will be an ability of rebuilding one's life in every circumstances? This article presents the concept of preparation for forgiveness executed in the pedagogy of unity of the Focolare Movement. The key factor in this process in the art of loving through which education means supporting the pupils in realising their humanity which is shown in the dynamics of becoming a continuous gift to others – the foundation of the ability of forgiving. The original issues in this concepts are as follows: the idea of preparation for what is difficult as well as mutuality as basic dynamics of an interpersonal relation. Although the basis of the art of loving are rooted in the theological thought of Chiara Lubich and the offered role model refers to the figure of Jesus Christ, this includes universal educational postulates since it shows the fullness of humanity in the figure of Jesus himself. The assumptions concerning loving one's neighbour inspired by the wisdom of Christianity and expressed by Lubich in her innovative formula of the art of loving may also become an educational inspiration in Polish education; especially, in the scope of preparation for forgiveness.