Forgiveness - Different for everyone - We can say we would forgive this, that or whatever.
I watched this man on TV that day forgive this killer. He murdered 48 women. I watched and cried for him and his family.
What is forgiveness to you?
Do you hold grudges for things you should have let go of a long time ago.
Do you still have differences within your extended family from years ago that should be addressed.
Myself I have anger, plenty at times but I have never that pure hatred or hate- If Hate was defined by an Investment Professional - It would be billed as something where you will always lose what ever you invest into hatred plus an untold amount of your future, family and friends. The emotional losses are incalculable
Forgiveness - YouTube
Rebecca DeMauro (USA)
Then one morning I was watching Katie Couric on NBC when the story of Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, was broadcast. Ridgway was sentenced for the murders of 48 women, making him the most prolific serial killer in US history. He was to receive 48 consecutive life terms for the murders of the women he killed. I watched with great interest as the victims’ families were each allotted ten minutes to give a victim impact statement.
NBC showed clips from several statements: ‘I hope you rot in hell, you son of a bitch’, and ‘you are not God. It was not your right to decide who lived and who died’. Ridgway sat stoic and hard, his eyes narrowed, seemingly full of hate.
It wasn’t until Bob Rule, father of 16-year-old Linda Rule, stood and faced the killer that something inside of me and Gary Ridgway broke. Bob Rule looked straight at the Green River killer and said:
‘Mr. Ridgway, there are people here who hate you. I’m not one of them. I forgive you for what you’ve done. You’ve made it difficult to live up to what I believe, and that is what God says to do, and that is forgive, and he doesn’t say to forgive just certain people, he says forgive all. So you are forgiven.’
Ridgway’s face softened and his lips began to tremble. Then he began to cry. At that precise moment, I realised that the only way I would be able to go on living was to stop hating. I had to do what Bob Rule had done and let it go, and let Andi rest in peace.
I watched this man on TV that day forgive this killer. He murdered 48 women. I watched and cried for him and his family.
What is forgiveness to you?
Do you hold grudges for things you should have let go of a long time ago.
Do you still have differences within your extended family from years ago that should be addressed.
Myself I have anger, plenty at times but I have never that pure hatred or hate- If Hate was defined by an Investment Professional - It would be billed as something where you will always lose what ever you invest into hatred plus an untold amount of your future, family and friends. The emotional losses are incalculable
Forgiveness - YouTube
Rebecca DeMauro (USA)
Then one morning I was watching Katie Couric on NBC when the story of Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, was broadcast. Ridgway was sentenced for the murders of 48 women, making him the most prolific serial killer in US history. He was to receive 48 consecutive life terms for the murders of the women he killed. I watched with great interest as the victims’ families were each allotted ten minutes to give a victim impact statement.
NBC showed clips from several statements: ‘I hope you rot in hell, you son of a bitch’, and ‘you are not God. It was not your right to decide who lived and who died’. Ridgway sat stoic and hard, his eyes narrowed, seemingly full of hate.
It wasn’t until Bob Rule, father of 16-year-old Linda Rule, stood and faced the killer that something inside of me and Gary Ridgway broke. Bob Rule looked straight at the Green River killer and said:
‘Mr. Ridgway, there are people here who hate you. I’m not one of them. I forgive you for what you’ve done. You’ve made it difficult to live up to what I believe, and that is what God says to do, and that is forgive, and he doesn’t say to forgive just certain people, he says forgive all. So you are forgiven.’
Ridgway’s face softened and his lips began to tremble. Then he began to cry. At that precise moment, I realised that the only way I would be able to go on living was to stop hating. I had to do what Bob Rule had done and let it go, and let Andi rest in peace.