Forgiveness sets you free
From time to time, but more often than one might expect, we hear of police officers being killed in the line of duty. On such occasions, there is widespread support from fellow-officers, some of whom travel great distances to attend the funeral and to give their support to the grieving family.
I had on file an account of such an event which happened about seven years ago in rural Ontario. The article was written by Jpe Belanger and carried by the Winnipeg Sun on March 13, 2010.
A Huron Ontario Provincial Police officer had just pulled over a pickup truck when he was shot, even before he got out of his cruiser. He died later in hospital. The suspect then exchanged gunfire with a second officer who arrived a short time later. The suspect was shot, arrested, and charged with one count each of first degree murder and of attempted murder involving the second officer. The suspect died in hospital three days later.
As reported in the article, “Thousands of police officers from across North America converge on small-town Wingham, (the victim’s) home town, for a police funeral. Over 8,000 people packed inside the local arena, with about 2,000 people outside listening on loud-speakers.”
There were several speakers who paid tribute to the deceased officer. But the most emotional and challenging speaker was the slain officer’s widow. She fought back tears as she expressed her forgiveness to her husband’s killer and, as the writer of the article states, “she urged others to do the same.”
She went on to say, “As hard as it is, I believe forgiveness is the only way to release ourselves from this pain and anger. To the best of my human ability and with God’s help, I will offer it, and my hope and prayer is that all of you can do the same. I know it is what (my husband) would have wanted.”
Whether or not we are religious, we know that forgiveness is something that is difficult to offer — and for incidents in our lives that are far less challenging than it was for the officer’s widow. It would seem, on the surface, that she would have no reason to show forgiveness when she was the one whose life had been hurt and devastated. But she was wise enough to realize that having ill feelings toward others was an unhealthy state of being for herself, and for any others who harbored ill feelings.
Wikipedia says this: “Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, with an increased ability to wish the offender well.” And Dave Willis says, “Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.” May it be so for us! Harvie Barker is a Penticton resident and writer of inspirational messages.