Around the Web (Jan 2nd, 2014) – My take!


CBS News (Jan 1, 2014) carried a report on Michael Davis. He is the father of 17 year old Claire Davis who was shot by an 18 year school mate who later took his own life. Claire died after spending some days in the hospital. Michael said: “My wife and I forgive [the killer] for what he did.”

CBS Houston (Dec 19, 2013) reported on Anita Smith: the wife of Ronnie Smith, the American teacher killed while jogging in Benghazi, Libya. Annie said: “Ronnie would want his death to be an opportunity for us to show one another love and forgiveness, because that is what God has shown us.” The message to her husband’s killers: “That I love them, and I forgive them, and I have nothing against them.”

My take:

It’s a painful ordeal to lose a loved one in a brutal murder. The sheer grief can’t be imagined. Many have different ways of coping with tragedies such as the ones mentioned above. One way is to explore the soul of one’s spirituality and seek the high road of forgiveness and kindness. Forgiving those who've done terrible harm to you and your loved ones is not an easy path. It takes a lot to go through with it. Nelson Mandela is loved for having a large heart to show compassion, tolerance and forgiveness to his apartheid captors.

Also, looking at the example of South Africa and Mandela, we could see that the then apartheid regime took steps to correct their wrongs by releasing political prisoners like Mandela and allowing a platform that led to the creation of a more inclusive government and governance. In the scriptures, a sinner is forgiven when he/she confesses, repents and makes ways to right the wrongs. In the first instance above, the accused person took his own life. He is not alive to make amends.

In the second instance, the killer(s) is (are) alive and at large. They've not been arrested. They've not confessed and they've not made any amends for the crime they committed. On what basis are they forgiven? I guess in this case, having a forgiving heart helps Anita Smith to cope with her loss. She’s accepted her loss. Maybe, forgiveness will give her closure.

This act of hers raises questions like: when can one forgive an accused person who brutally murders member(s) of one’s family? Would it be wrong if one chooses not to forgive if the accused person has not taken responsibility for his/her actions? What would you do under similar circumstances? These are questions worth asking.

©Dr Eugene’s Column (http://dreugeneojirigho.blogspot.com/)

©Dr Eugene’s Blogs (http://dreugeneoji.blogspot.com/)

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