News
Episcopal Leaders Follow Amish Lead in Forgiving
ABCNews.com – The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland has made a generous offer of forgiveness toward and the payment of the funeral service for a homeless man who killed himself after fatally shooting a priest and the church secretary last week. The community based its gesture of forgiveness and generosity on what the Amish did when a man attacked and killed school girls in Pennsylvania in 2006. Full report here.
Leaving a Legacy of Goodness
The Missoulian, Missoula, MT – On the 20th anniversary of her family’s deadly standoff with federal law enforcement officers at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, Sara Weaver is an advocate of forgiveness.
“Three years ago I Googled my name,” Weaver said, “and I thought “That’s not the legacy I want to leave for my son.'”
Weaver says she has made a distinction between forgiving someone and condoning what that person did. Forgiving simply meant she gave up holding onto the negative feelings and emotions of the incidents.
“It’s not like saying, ‘It’s sunny today, there’s a rainbow. I feel like forgiving someone today,'” she said. “It’s that in my heart and life, I’ve never got freedom from hanging onto toxic grudges.”
Sara Weaver was 16 when her father, Randy Weaver, got in a shootout with federal marshals at his cabin in northern Idaho. Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan and Weaver’s 14-year-old son Sammy Weaver were both killed on the first day after officers tried to serve a warrant for weapons charges.
Sara Weaver’s mother, Vicki Weaver, was shot dead by an FBI sniper the next day, and her father and another man were wounded. The standoff lasted 11 days.
2002 Indonesian Bomb Blast: Mastermind Asks Forgiveness
AFP news – A horrendous bomb blast in a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia in 2002 killed over 200 people. The supposed mastermind behind the bomb attack, who could face the death penalty, asked, during his trial, forgiveness of victims’ families and of the Indonesian government. He said he played a small part in the plan and execution of the bomb. The forgiveness request calls into question the political use of forgiveness for gain. Full report here
Step-Mother Teaches 5-Year-Old to Forgive Murderer
MSNBC.com – Melissa Oxley was asleep next to her husband when he was shot and killed. Melissa was the first suspect in the killing, but was subsequently released. The boyfriend of Mr. Oxley’s ex-wife has been convicted of the crime and is currently serving a prison term.
Mr. Oxley’s daughter, Alyssa, now being raised by Melissa, spoke with the murderer following his conviction. She told him that she forgives him for killing her father. This theme of forgiveness was initiated by Melissa in 2008, as she began teaching Alyssa, then 5-years-old, the importance of forgiveness so they do not have deep anger as a part of their lives.
Melissa calls Alyssa, age 5 at the time of the murder, a “strong little girl.” After the ex-wife’s boyfriend was convicted of the crime, Alyssa asked to speak to him. “I told him that I decided to forgive him and that I wanted him to have hope,” Alyssa said.
Melissa said that from the first, she told Alyssa that they would approach her father’s murderer with compassion, no matter who it turned out to be. “I always told her, pretty much from day one, whenever we found out who did this we’d have to be able to forgive them at some point in order to go on.”
The widowed stepmother emphasized the importance of forgiveness as a way forward in her grief, and said she wants Alyssa to be able to grow up without anger being a part of their lives.
Dr. Enright Receives Cecil Findley Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Robert Enright, founder of the International Forgiveness Institute, was honored recently with the 2012 Cecil Findley Distinguished Service Award. The award is in honor of Cecil Findley, a retired United Methodist pastor and Campus Minister Emeritus at The Crossing (formerly Madison Campus Ministry) in Madison, WI, who passed away in 2010. Rev. Findley’s ministry was marked by his passion for social justice, peacemaking, interfaith dialogues, and the prophetic teachings of Jesus.
The award was presented by Rev. Douglas Pierce, Executive Director of The Crossing, on April 13 at the ministry’s Spring Gala. In his remarks during the presentation of the 2012 Cecil Findley Distinguished Service Award, Rev. Douglas Pierce said,
Our honoree tonight (Dr. Robert Enright) is: a clinical psychologist, a sought-after speaker, and a popular Graduate Student Advisor.
And if that’s not enough, tonight’s honoree is also an accomplished author with over 100 publications and 5 books to his credit. His work has been featured in a major documentary film (The Power of Forgiveness) and in a variety of news outlets.
As a matter of fact, our recipient is often referred to as “the father of forgiveness education” because of his 25 year academic commitment to researching and implementing forgiveness programs.
Read the full presentation speech here.
