Forgiveness

Having been convicted of 49 murders and confessing to 71, Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer, is considered to be the worst serial killer in U.S. History. In his 2003 court appearance, his consecutive confessions to each individual murder were completely devoid of any emotion whatsoever...“stonefaced and cold,” as one reporter described him. The judge subsequently allowed families of the victims to address him directly and most all were rightly heart-broken and enraged, up to wishing a “long, suffering, cruel death” upon him.

Throughout these, Ridgway again showed not one iota of emotion. It was then that Robert Rule, father of a murdered daughter, addressed him. His words speak for themselves: “Mr. Ridgway....there are many people here that hate you. I am not one of them. You’ve made it difficult to live up to what I believe, and that is what God says to do, and that is to forgive. You are forgiven, sir.” For the first and only time, Ridgway broke down and wept.

In Luke, chapter 6, Jesus spoke, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

You and I are living at a time in our country’s history when anger, division and vitriol appear to be escalating weekly to the point where even those in the public eye, from actors, media personnel and even a sitting government Representative, are not only condoning open acts of physical confrontation but in some cases even advocating it. Some have gone further still in rhetoric and threats that I cannot repeat here. Increasingly, such behavior is even shown simply for having a different opinion.

Most of us have never had to face the type and level of anguish that the families of Ridgway’s victims have. But to truly live as Christ Jesus taught, and as people like Mr. Rule exhibit, is honestly not within the abilities of any of us. It is only by His power that a person is saved, and can daily strive to do so.

As individuals, and as a nation, we would do well to remember God’s calling to to us all, “If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”