A frail black woman about seventy years old slowly rises to her feet. Across the room and facing her are several white police officers. One of them is Mr. Van der Broek, who has just been tried and found implicated in the murders of both the woman's son and her husband some years before. Van der Broek had come to the woman's home, taken her son, shot him at point blank range and then set the young man's body on fire while he and his officers partied nearby.
Several years later, Van der Broek and his men had returned for her husband as well. For months she knew nothing of his whereabouts. Then almost two years after her husband's disappearance, Van der Broek came back to fetch the woman herself. How well she remembers in vivid detail that evening, going to a place beside a river where she was shown her husband, bound and beaten, but still strong in spirit, lying on a pile of wood. The last words she heard from his lips as the officers poured gasoline over his body and set him aflame were, "Father, forgive them..."
Now the woman stands in the courtroom and listens to the confessions offered by Mr. Van der Broek. A member of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission turns to her and asks, " So what do you want? How should justice be done to this man who has so brutally destroyed your family?"
"I want three things," begins the old woman calmly, but confidently. " I want first to be taken to the place where my husband's body was burned so that I can gather up the dust and give his remains a decent burial."
She paused, then continued. "My husband and son were my only family. I want secondly, therefore, for Mr. Van der Broek to become my son. I would like for him to come twice a month to the ghetto and spend a day with me so that I can pour out on him whatever love I still have remaining in me." She also stated that she wanted a third thing, "This is also the wish of my husband. And so, I would kindly ask someone to come to my side and lead me across the courtroom so that I can take Mr. Van der Broek in my arms and embrace him and let him know that he is truly forgiven." As the court assistants came to lead the elderly woman across the room, Mr. Van der Broek, overwhelmed by what he had just heard, fainted. As he did, those in the courtroom, family, friends, neighbours- all victims of decades of oppression and injustice - began to sing, softly but assuredly, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."
Although it appears that the elderly woman who had endured such a painful loss was doing Mr. Van der Broek a huge favor - and indeed she was - she actually was doing more for herself than for him. Because of her actions, her past had no authority over her future. She was not allowing the pain of the past to poison her attitude. Her attitude gave God glory.
God is not glorified by our suffering, but He is glorified when we have a good attitude during suffering. I am sure the woman had to discipline her feelings, She had to make a choice that was not easy but the reward was worth it. She made a right decision while she was still hurting, and that decision contributed to putting an end to her pain. As long as we stay angry, we keep our pain. When we begin to pray and bless those who have hurt us, the pain is swallowed up in love. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
-Approval Addiction Joyce Meyer-
Wow! I can't imagine her pain. I've never had a child die let alone in such a horrific manner. I've never witnessed anyone burn alive. I've haven't had those dearest to my heart brutally ripped away. She did. Yet she forgave. Loved. A true testament to strength and grace. My favorite part: Because of her actions, her past had no authority over her future. She was not allowing the pain of the past to poison her attitude. Her attitude gave God glory. I won't pretend to understand this woman's particular pain but I do understand pain. I do know what it's like to have your heart shredded...to beg God each morning to just stop waking you up...to try and forgive the unforgivable. It seems impossible and without God's help it would have been for me. But forgiveness brings healing. Jesus commands it of his followers. It's for our own good. As long as we are shackled by hatred we will never have freedom and we do not show who God is. It's common today to hear many opinions on what a "strong woman is" I'm not interested in opinions. The truth: follow the example of the only real strength. Jesus. While on that cross he also said "Father, Forgive them..." He died for you and me when we hated him. We didn't deserve anything except hell. Still he loved and pursued us. Many would say her actions were weak. But if forgiveness is weak then why do so few walk the path? No. This woman knew authentic strength. Just as her husband, she chose to follow the example of Jesus. In so doing she was given the strength to forgive the unforgivable and live. Choose to live!
Until then...
Jessie
Several years later, Van der Broek and his men had returned for her husband as well. For months she knew nothing of his whereabouts. Then almost two years after her husband's disappearance, Van der Broek came back to fetch the woman herself. How well she remembers in vivid detail that evening, going to a place beside a river where she was shown her husband, bound and beaten, but still strong in spirit, lying on a pile of wood. The last words she heard from his lips as the officers poured gasoline over his body and set him aflame were, "Father, forgive them..."
Now the woman stands in the courtroom and listens to the confessions offered by Mr. Van der Broek. A member of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission turns to her and asks, " So what do you want? How should justice be done to this man who has so brutally destroyed your family?"
"I want three things," begins the old woman calmly, but confidently. " I want first to be taken to the place where my husband's body was burned so that I can gather up the dust and give his remains a decent burial."
She paused, then continued. "My husband and son were my only family. I want secondly, therefore, for Mr. Van der Broek to become my son. I would like for him to come twice a month to the ghetto and spend a day with me so that I can pour out on him whatever love I still have remaining in me." She also stated that she wanted a third thing, "This is also the wish of my husband. And so, I would kindly ask someone to come to my side and lead me across the courtroom so that I can take Mr. Van der Broek in my arms and embrace him and let him know that he is truly forgiven." As the court assistants came to lead the elderly woman across the room, Mr. Van der Broek, overwhelmed by what he had just heard, fainted. As he did, those in the courtroom, family, friends, neighbours- all victims of decades of oppression and injustice - began to sing, softly but assuredly, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."
Although it appears that the elderly woman who had endured such a painful loss was doing Mr. Van der Broek a huge favor - and indeed she was - she actually was doing more for herself than for him. Because of her actions, her past had no authority over her future. She was not allowing the pain of the past to poison her attitude. Her attitude gave God glory.
God is not glorified by our suffering, but He is glorified when we have a good attitude during suffering. I am sure the woman had to discipline her feelings, She had to make a choice that was not easy but the reward was worth it. She made a right decision while she was still hurting, and that decision contributed to putting an end to her pain. As long as we stay angry, we keep our pain. When we begin to pray and bless those who have hurt us, the pain is swallowed up in love. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
-Approval Addiction Joyce Meyer-
Wow! I can't imagine her pain. I've never had a child die let alone in such a horrific manner. I've never witnessed anyone burn alive. I've haven't had those dearest to my heart brutally ripped away. She did. Yet she forgave. Loved. A true testament to strength and grace. My favorite part: Because of her actions, her past had no authority over her future. She was not allowing the pain of the past to poison her attitude. Her attitude gave God glory. I won't pretend to understand this woman's particular pain but I do understand pain. I do know what it's like to have your heart shredded...to beg God each morning to just stop waking you up...to try and forgive the unforgivable. It seems impossible and without God's help it would have been for me. But forgiveness brings healing. Jesus commands it of his followers. It's for our own good. As long as we are shackled by hatred we will never have freedom and we do not show who God is. It's common today to hear many opinions on what a "strong woman is" I'm not interested in opinions. The truth: follow the example of the only real strength. Jesus. While on that cross he also said "Father, Forgive them..." He died for you and me when we hated him. We didn't deserve anything except hell. Still he loved and pursued us. Many would say her actions were weak. But if forgiveness is weak then why do so few walk the path? No. This woman knew authentic strength. Just as her husband, she chose to follow the example of Jesus. In so doing she was given the strength to forgive the unforgivable and live. Choose to live!
Until then...
Jessie
What a great post!
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