The word “repent” essentially has its origins in old Latin words for “think again.” The old Greek word for “changing your mind” is “metanoia” (μετάνοια). The word metanoia as a noun and verb occurs no less than 56 times in the New Testament of the Bible. Understanding how changes in our minds are actually visible as changes in our brain structure like adaptive myelination helps us understand what all is involved in processes like empathy and forgiveness, as we learn about them first and then apply them in our own thinking and lives. The takeaway is that forgiveness is not just an idea, it’s a process of living! And what helps your brain’s health – good nutrition, good hydration, frequent positive and peaceful thinking that builds neural pathways for habitual thinking of about positive and peaceful things, sufficient sleep, perceptions of safety and belonging — helps you use your brain to learn forgiveness, apply forgiveness, and build a predisposition and habit of being forgiving.

This text is an original work of its author Tom Delaney and was entirely composed without the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

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If your parish or faith community is seeking a deeper experience of healing, mercy, and spiritual renewal, Live and Forgive is here to help. To begin the conversation, email Live and Forgive presenter and facilitator Tom Delaney at tom@liveandforgive.com—Tom will be glad to connect with you in a spirit of welcome, respect, and shared faith.