--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can teach a good, formal lesson on…" description: "\"We can teach a good, formal lesson on forgiveness as a Christian virtue and all the doctrines that are attached to it. But to be in a real-life situati..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_we-can-teach-a-good-formal-lesson-on-for_2099448.jpg" --- # We can teach a good, formal lesson on forgiveness as a… ![“We can teach a good, formal lesson on forgiveness as a Christian virtue and all the doctrines that are attached to it. But to be in a real-life situation, a work camp or a trip or some other activity with young people where real forgiveness needs to happen, that's a different situation altogether…” quote by Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_we-can-teach-a-good-formal-lesson-on-for_2099448.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_we-can-teach-a-good-formal-lesson-on-for_2099448.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/parker-j-palmer-2983_activity_we-can-teach-a-good-formal-lesson-on-for_2099448.jpg) > “We can teach a good, formal lesson on forgiveness as a Christian virtue and all the doctrines that are attached to it. But to be in a real-life situation, a work camp or a trip or some other activity with young people where real forgiveness needs to happen, that's a different situation altogether. And that is where the deepest learning will occur.” [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Forgiveness taught as a doctrine differs from real‑world practice; true learning occurs when forgiveness is applied in lived experiences with youth. **In simple terms:** Real forgiveness teaches deeper lessons than theory. Key Takeaway Practice forgiveness in everyday life. Themes forgiveness education spirituality youth work Mood inspirational thoughtful Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - mission trips - community service - conflict resolution Key Concepts experiential learning moral development Questions to Reflect On - How can we prepare people for authentic forgiveness? - What challenges arise when forgiveness fails? A Different Perspective Theoretical lessons may not capture emotional complexity of real forgiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [Forgiveness - this needs to be our greatest skill. The way to get good at forgiveness is: to be thankful for all the little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/forgiveness-this-needs-to-be-our-greatest-skill-the-way-to-get-good/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [We can not communicate with the Lord if we do not communicate with each other. If we want to present ourselves to him, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/we-can-not-communicate-with-the-lord-if-we-do-not-communicate-with/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [“I know regret teach us a lesson but forgiveness teach us humanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaya-h-m/i-know-regret-teach-us-a-lesson-but-forgiveness-teach-us-humanity/) [Amaya.H.M](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaya-h-m/) > [“The most experienced psychologist or observer of human nature knows infinitely less of the human heart than the simplest Christian who lives beneath the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-most-experienced-psychologist-or-observer-of-human-nature-knows/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“Genuine forgiveness and reconciliation are two-person transactions that are enabled by apologies. Some, particularly within the Christian worldview, have taught forgiveness without an apology.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/genuine-forgiveness-and-reconciliation-are-two-person-transactions/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [“Anybody who lives beneath the Cross and who has discerned in the Cross of Jesus the utter wickedness of all men and of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/anybody-who-lives-beneath-the-cross-and-who-has-discerned-in-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“Fast forgiveness is a part of Christian culture I want to help change and transform. I ache for a journey of Jesus-like forgiveness. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-brenner/fast-forgiveness-is-a-part-of-christian-culture-i-want-to-help-change/) [Natalie Brenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-brenner/) > [“Real forgiveness in close relationships is never easy. It can’t be rushed or engineered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/real-forgiveness-in-close-relationships-is-never-easy-it-can-t-be/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [“Real forgiveness is about fundamentally changing the way you see a situation. It is about clearing away the fog of fear and seeing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-giles/real-forgiveness-is-about-fundamentally-changing-the-way-you-see-a/) [Kimberly Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-giles/) > [There's nothing like real forgiveness, a deep-down forgiveness where you don't hold any grudges against people. I forgave everybody for the things they didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/there-s-nothing-like-real-forgiveness-a-deep-down-forgiveness-where/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [To understand somebody else as a human being, I think, is about as close to real forgiveness as one can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-small/to-understand-somebody-else-as-a-human-being-i-think-is-about-as/) [David Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-small/) > [I think real forgiveness is a gift someone has to earn, and I don’t even have to worry about Kalona asking for my forgiveness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-real-forgiveness-is-a-gift-someone-has-to-earn-and-i-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I felt real forgiveness, my heart was set free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/when-i-felt-real-forgiveness-my-heart-was-set-free/) [Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/) > [“The physical power of real love is staggering, because real forgiveness is staggering...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/the-physical-power-of-real-love-is-staggering-because-real/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [I've never had anything as formal as vocal lessons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-nutini/i-ve-never-had-anything-as-formal-as-vocal-lessons/) [Paolo Nutini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-nutini/) ## More by Parker J. Palmer > [“The God I know is the source of reality, rather than morality; the source of 'what is' rather than the source of 'what ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/the-god-i-know-is-the-source-of-reality-rather-than-morality-the/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [One of the hardest things we must do sometimes is to be present to another person's pain without trying to "fix" it, to simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/one-of-the-hardest-things-we-must-do-sometimes-is-to-be-present-to/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Opposing what's wrong is a halfway measure at best. A rebel must also have a vision for something better, a strategy for moving toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/opposing-what-s-wrong-is-a-halfway-measure-at-best-a-rebel-must-also/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Teaching, like any truly human activity, emerges from one's inwardness, for better or worse. As I teach I project the condition of my soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-emerges-from-one-s-inwardness/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [If my life is any example, the work that youth workers are doing is very, very important. It tends to get marginalized in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/if-my-life-is-any-example-the-work-that-youth-workers-are-doing-is/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Self-care is never a selfish act - it is only good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/self-care-is-never-a-selfish-act-it-is-only-good-stewardship-of-the/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [The spiritual life is about becoming more at home in your own skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/the-spiritual-life-is-about-becoming-more-at-home-in-your-own-skin/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [“Formation may be the best name for what happens in a circle of trust, because the word refers, historically, to soul work done in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/formation-may-be-the-best-name-for-what-happens-in-a-circle-of-trust/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Don't let anyone or anything rob you of the beauty and meaning at the heart of life. It's your birthright gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/don-t-let-anyone-or-anything-rob-you-of-the-beauty-and-meaning-at-the/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [“Citizenship is a way of being in the world rooted in the knowledge that I am a member of a vast community of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/citizenship-is-a-way-of-being-in-the-world-rooted-in-the-knowledge/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [I think the church needs to be much more countercultural than that and invite people into slowing down, into a "Be-still-and-know-that-I-am-God" mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/i-think-the-church-needs-to-be-much-more-countercultural-than-that/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [My high school, like most high schools, had a pretty rigid stratification system. Kids were clustered into groups - the studious ones, the athletes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/my-high-school-like-most-high-schools-had-a-pretty-rigid/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Death in various forms is sometimes comforting, while resurrection and new life can be demanding and threatening. If I lived as if resurrection were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/death-in-various-forms-is-sometimes-comforting-while-resurrection-and/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already posses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/discovering-vocation-does-not-mean-scrambling-toward-some-prize-just-2/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [It is because as we are, our hearts are closed, and we cannot place the holy words in our hearts. So we place them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/it-is-because-as-we-are-our-hearts-are-closed-and-we-cannot-place-the/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) [Explore all 143 Parker J. Palmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) ## More Activity quotes > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Fighting's fun, man. It's a great activity, it's a great sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/fighting-s-fun-man-it-s-a-great-activity-it-s-a-great-sport/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. I just loved books. I never understood reading as anything but a pleasurable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lucas/there-were-books-everywhere-in-my-house-books-were-very-present-i/) [Lisa Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lucas/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [For the longest time, neuroscientists were forced to be passive observers of brain activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gero-miesenbock/for-the-longest-time-neuroscientists-were-forced-to-be-passive/) Gero Miesenbock > [Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/enjoyment-is-not-a-goal-it-is-a-feeling-that-accompanies-important/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [“Fun is not an activity, it is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/fun-is-not-an-activity-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I have to consider everything I eat; I consider every activity I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kimball/i-have-to-consider-everything-i-eat-i-consider-every-activity-i-do/) [Charlie Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kimball/) > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) Browse all 3,263 Activity quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can teach a good, formal lesson on forgiveness as a Christian virtue and all the doctrines that are attached to it. 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