Biola welcomed students back from Easter Break with Forgiveness Awareness Week, April 8 through 12. The week gave students a variety ofopportunities to explore the many facets of forgiveness. Student Development sponsored the week and brought in guest speakers from across the country, including Dr. Everett Worthington, Kathleen Doyle, Chris and Phileena Heuertz, Johann Christoph Arnold and his team from "Breaking the Cycle," as well as featuring Biola professor Dr. Muehlhoff.

The week began with chapel on Monday morning “Forgiving When It’s Hard” featuring Dr. Everett Worthington of Virginia Commonwealth University. Monday evening, “The Courage to Remember” Holocaust exhibit opened with a reception in the library courtyard.

On Tuesday, April 9, Kathleen Doyle gave an afternoon session entitled “What it Takes to Forgive," followed by an evening session with Dr.Tim Muelhoff on “Biblical Motivation to Forgive and Move Forward”, with the premise that forgiveness is a choice.

Chris & Phileena Heuertz, founding partners of Gravity: A Center for Contemplative Activism, were featured speakers at the Wednesday morning chapel titled, “From Blame to Love.”

At each event during the week students were given a free copy of the best-selling book “Why Forgive”, written and donated by Johann Christoph Arnold. Arnold and his guests from Breaking the Cycle shared stories of forgiveness during After Dark on Wednesday night, and at a variety of events on Thursday and Friday.

Thursday night, Students were given the opportunity to watch the new film adaptation of Les Miserables in Calvary Chapel, enjoy free popcorn, and engage in group conversation about the movie’s example of the power of forgiveness.