To Forgive, Divine
Many complain about the post-Christian slough of contemporary America. We point to the coarsening of pop culture, the dissolution of the family, and the battles over religious liberty in the courts. Those issues are important, but more troublesome is the decline of the deeper virtues.Forgiveness. Mercy. Beauty.Before the blood cooled in Charleston, the internet devolved into the usual partisan bickering. Warring sides screamed of confederate flags and gun control and racism and religious hatred. Its easy to get lost in the daily political battles; to lose oneself in the outrage of the day. I know Im often guilty of condemning my opponents personally when I should focus on the arguments they make.But in a South Carolina courtroom Friday, the victims families demonstrated those deeper virtues rarely broadcast in this secular culture. The judge allowed the grieving to share their minds directly with the dead-eyed young man accused of killing their mothers, sons and sisters.Felicia Sanders told the accused, We welcomed you Wednesday night in our Bible study with open arms. You have killed some of the most beautiful people that I know. Every fiber in my body hurts, and Ill never be the same. Tywanza Sanders was my son, but Tywanza was my hero. But as we said in the Bible study may God have mercy on you.I will never talk to her ever again, Nadine Collier said of her mother. I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you. And have mercy on your soul. You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people, but God forgive you, and I forgive you.Rev. Anthony Thompson said, I forgive you and my family forgives you, but we would like you to take this opportunity to repent. Repent. Confess. Give your life to the One who matters the most Christ so that He can change it; to change your ways no matter what happened to you and youll be okay. https://ricochet.com/to-forgive-divine/
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Just because they have forgiven him, doesn't mean that they are hoping he is sent home with a stern admonishment to behave himself from now on. In fact, itwould surprise me if any of the family members spoke out against the death penalty for Mr. Roof.
Keep in mind 2 things:
1. Christians forgive as much for their own sake, perhaps even more so, than they do for the sake of others.
2. Forgivenessisnot aboutwaiting for post-death punishment, especially in this case. What of the report that he almost didn't go through with it becausehis victimswere all sowelcoming andkind to him? That would indicate the possibility of a tiny kernel of decency in his mostly deranged (and probably drug-addled)mind, wouldn't it? Forgiveness by the family and friends of his victims, when received in a moment of total clarity, just might savea tremendous amount of angst, money and time...and still achieve the widely-desired ending for Mr. Roof: Dead on a gurney.
"suckers"
You have got something ... sounds like delusion that you understand .