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Monday, March 31, 2008
How can woman forgive Son in the killing of her parents and sister?
The mother of a teenager accused of stabbing to death four people, including the mother’s parents, said she has forgiven her son and knows her parents would, too. “I told my son I love him,” Kathy Jack, 41, told The Associated Press on Thursday as she watched police officers place the bodies of her father and her sister into hearses parked outside the home where they were killed. “I always will, no matter what he’s done. No matter what happens, I love him. “My parents would feel the same if one of them was here. They would forgive and forget. And that’s how our family was,” Jack said. Jack’s son, 18-year-old Jason Alex Abbott, has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in the Tuesday attacks. “I know my son needs a lot of prayer,” she said. “I’ve been asking people to pray. I love my son. I know there are problems.” {Associated Press}
I can only imagine how hard it must have been for this woman to forgive someone who killed her family members-even if it was her own son! I designated this past Sunday’s service in our church to pray for those incarcerated. During the week prior, I received a few hateful emails scolding me for having the audacity to set aside a special service to pray for those Murderers, rapists, and pedophiles! So I know what a sticky subject forgiveness can be. So how does one do it?
To me, one can only forgive with the help of God. One must first, have a genuine relationship with God because the bible teaches that our righteousness is as filthy rags which tells me we don’t know how to forgive at this level by ourselves. Then one must have an understanding that the bible teaches that we must forgive because with the same measure we forgive, we will be forgiven by our heaven Father.
So what are your thoughts on forgiving such grave wrongs done to love ones? Do we as human beings on our own have the ability to forgive at this level? Can just a “GOOD” person honestly forgive and forget without some divine help?
