The Art of Forgiveness
I got this by email today. It was an experience translated from Spanish (El Arte de Perdonal). Whether it’s true or not I’m not sure. But it sure makes a powerful statement.
A young 22-year-old pioneer brother was out in service. He went to a door and the householder showed irritation at his presence. The man told him to wait and he came back armed and shot the brother. The brother died there.
During his trial, the man said that he hated Jehovah’s Witnesses and had warned that he would kill the first one to knock on his door. The man was found guilty and was sentenced to prison.
Years later, he was released and went back to live in the same house. The brothers in the congregation were warned to avoid preaching at that house. But there was a brother that desired to visit that house again. He was advised against it, but he insisted and was given permission to visit the house.
The brother figured that time spent in prison had changed the man. So he went to the murderer’s home. The man was very surprised to see him and asked him if he knew that he had killed a Witness before. The brother said he did know and this surprised the man. He was curious to know the kind of man capable of knocking on his door so he invited the brother in and a Bible study was started.
The months passed and the truth became clear to the man. He came to know a God capable of forgiving even the most serious sins. His spiritual progress was evident, but at the invitation of attending the Kingdom Hall, the man declined.
He said he couldn’t go to the Hall if the parents of the young brother he had killed were not able to forgive him also. The brother told him, “It’s not necessary. Jehovah has forgiven you. He doesn’t keep account of what you did before you knew the truth.”
Even so, the man was reluctant to accept the invitation to the Hall. He insisted in needing the forgiveness from the father of the young brother he had killed. Otherwise he would not go to the Hall. The brother asked him, “Do you really need that? Do you really need the father of the young man to forgive you?” The brother asked.
When the man told him he did, the brother said to him, “Consider yourself forgiven because I am the father of that young man you killed.”
Today, both are serving in the same congregation and yearn for the day when Jehovah will bring back to life that young man in the resurrection.
The discourse concluded shortly after this, showing the value of genuine forgiveness. Certainly that experience touched the hearts of all that heard it.
It’s difficult, but not impossible, the art of forgiveness.
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October 23rd, 2009 at 10:47 am
This is touching…VERY. And maybe I’m crying about this now because I just said goodbye to you guys last night (which I was trying to avoid), or maybe not. Maybe it’s because I often doubt my value in Jehovah’s eyes, I’ve made alot of mistakes and done alot of wrong, but He is forgiving in a large way. There is hope for me.