02 January 2014

Humbled by the Forgiveness of a Dad

I come from a sub-culture that largely does not know how to forgive. We Jews have struggled constantly to forgive Nazis who killed 6 million of our people. My father's family is part of that genocide - it's personal to me.
       The problem with the Jewish worldview about forgiveness is that it imprisons the person who needs to forgive. Unforgivenness does not punish the perpetrator; it punishes the victim.
       And this is why it was so moving for me to hear of Claire Davis' father forgiving Karl Pierson, the young man at Arapahoe High School who shot and killed Claire.
       I do not know about Mr. Davis' belief in God or faith in Jesus, but I would imagine his faith is deep and rich. 1 John says that we love because he first loved us. The same is true of this kind of forgiveness - we forgive only to the extent that we have experienced God's forgiveness of our own sin and brokenness.
       It is humbling and hopeful to see this couple forgive their daughter's killer. May this family know shalom this day.

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