Acts of Forgiveness

We have been forgiven by the Lord Jesus Christ.  By His blood, we can experience the forgiveness of sins and the capacity to forgive those who have wronged us. Jesus taught in Luke chapter 17:
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

In our hearts, according to our new nature in Christ, we can embrace an attitude of forgiveness. People will do things that will upset us, that will make us feel violated, that will hurt our feelings. But, because of the presence of the indwelling Christ, we can experience the positive emotions of walking in the Spirit; we can know the freedom that He offers.  He calls us and empowers us to exercise forgiveness - think of how He has forgiven us; that provides powerful motivation to extend forgiveness to others.

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The Bible instructs us in Hebrews 12 to not carry the weight of bitterness in our hearts, recognizing that it not only hurts us but the people around us. Forgiveness can have the reverse effect:
12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled...

In a courtroom in Detroit recently, crime victim Brittany Guerriero demonstrated an incredible attitude that surprised the experienced county prosecutor involved in her case.

Here's the back story, from the Detroit Free Press:  Eight months ago, outside her apartment, the 33-year-old business and public relations strategist was carjacked Sept. 3 while unloading some housewares from her Ford Fusion in the valet line.

On May 12, the gunman, 24-year-old Kendall Kelly was sentenced to 9-20 years in prison for Guerrerio's carjacking, and to 25-50 years for fatally shooting a man in the face two days after he stole Guerriero's car.

The man who boxed her in and stood by, another 24-year-old, Demarcus Catlin, received 9-20 years in prison at his April 1 sentencing.

The alleged getaway driver still awaits trial.

In Catlin's sentencing hearing, when the judge called on Brittany to speak, she exhibited a spirit of forgiveness. She told Catlin: "Demarcus, your mother obviously loves you. I have seen her at many of these hearings and just the fact that she is here with us today, I know she raised you to know better," Guerriero continued, "My hope for you, Demarcus, is that you, too, come to realize you owe it to yourself to hold yourself to a higher standard."

Guerriero told the newspaper, "The defendant's mom came up and hugged me. Choking back tears, she apologized for her son's actions," adding. "I told her — it is simply not her fault. I pray for her each day."

The article says that the courtroom embrace was a first for Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Tom Beadle, who has handled more than 100 homicides and 50 carjacking cases over two decades, who said, "She hugged the defendant's mother. I had not seen that before...I have heard (victims) say, 'I can forgive.' But I had never seen that extra step … I was impressed."

Six weeks later, Brittany would show the same mercy for the actual gunman. She told Kelly that she also had hopes for him that he "come to realize" that he owed it to himself to have higher standards.
She also reminded the gunman that he had no power over her.  She is quoted as saying: "In that moment Kendall, when you guys threatened to shoot me if I looked at you or tried to run, you got to decide what you take. After that, it is my choice," adding, "I've decided that you get nothing."

Beadle liked that line, and added, "All it takes for evil to succeed is for enough people to be silent."

As for Brittany Guerriero, despite falling victim to a crime that targeted some 500 victims in Detroit in 2014, she remains passionate about living in the city and helping rebuild Detroit, as the justice system takes its course.

This story can help us to think that for the Christian, an act of forgiveness is a tangible expression of a force that can not only free the person who feels victimized, but also communicate the love of Christ to those around us.   

And, unforgiveness can be a trigger a host of negative emotions and even cause physical manifestations.  Take the case of Jayne Valseca, whose husband was kidnapped, tortured, then released after 8 months, according to CBNNews.com.  She contracted breast cancer.  She added "forgiveness therapy" to her cancer treatment with Dr. Michael Barry, a pastor and author of the book The Forgiveness Project.

Barry's research on cancer patients revealed about 61 percent had trouble forgiving. More than half had a severe problem. Valseca said she had been consumed with revenge against her husband's kidnappers.

Forgiveness therapy begins with putting to rest three myths -- forgiveness is not reconciliation, forgiveness doesn't condone bad behavior, and forgiveness doesn't stop the pursuit of justice.

Valseca's path to forgiveness included writing a letter to her enemies, praying for them, and finding empathy for them.

Barry explained that, "Harboring these negative emotions, this anger and hatred, creates a state of chronic anxiety."  He continued, "Chronic anxiety very predictably produces excess adrenaline and cortisol, which deplete the production of natural killer cells which is your body's foot soldier in the fight against cancer."

So remember, forgiveness can result in freedom; unforgiveness can result in spiritual, emotional, and even physical expressions.  The Bible teaches principles consistent with forgiveness, and God calls us to exhibit compassion for those who have wronged us.  If we carry around bitterness in our hearts, we are not punishing the other person, we are punishing ourselves.  Jesus wants to work in our souls in order to release us from that burden that would weigh us down.