And the last lesson, perhaps the most important one, is about forgiveness. I watched a clip of Ashley’s father making a statement during the trial, in which he said that he and his family had forgiven Caleb. How do you forgive someone you believe murdered your own daughter, sister, and mother? Such forgiveness goes against our natural instincts. Yet what is impossible with man is possible with God. It is only through the work of His Spirit in us that we can faithfully reflect the character of Christ, including His heart of forgiveness.
This reminded me of Jesus as He was hanging on the cross. He prayed for those who crucified Him, as recorded in Luke 23:
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Similarly, in Acts 7, we read about Stephen, one of the early church’s deacons, who prayed for those who were stoning him:
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
How does God allow those who depend on Him to undergo such suffering, even cruel death and murder? Guess what? I do not fully understand either. But one thing I know is that He can bring good out of even the most terrible circumstances.
This reminded me of a testimony shared by Pastor Peter Tan-Chi. One of his daughters was sexually assaulted as a teenager by several robbers who broke into their house. The pastor shared how he spent many nights crying and asking God why He would allow such a thing to happen. However, he later shared that when his daughter spoke about forgiving the men who assaulted her during an interview on a Christian radio station, her testimony led to the highest number of calls the station had ever received from people wanting to give their lives to Jesus. What the enemy meant for evil, God turned for good.
And here’s the clip of Ashley’s family’s statement of forgiveness. It has certainly impacted at least one person: me. My faith was deeply encouraged by hearing their words and seeing how they embodied the love of Christ. In his statement, Ashley’s father said:
Jesus tells us that if we want to be forgiven of our sins, we must forgive others their sins. And I want you to know that Jill, myself, and our whole entire family that’s here and everywhere, we forgive you for taking Ashley’s life and also for what you have done to all of us.
I trust that God can use their testimony to touch many more hearts and draw people to Himself. May He use their testimony for His glory.