Headline News.

I read yesterday about a mother in Iran. A man had murdered her son and was to be hanged. In Iran, the family of the deceased can take part in the death sentence. Instead of kicking the chair out beneath him, this woman took the noose off of his neck. This made the headlines in the newspapers.

Forgiveness like this is so rare it makes front-page news. Forgiveness like this is what God does every day, but when people do it in this world it is a shocking thing.

Remember Rodney King, who was beaten almost to death by police which sparked the Watts riots? What I remember best about the riots is the forgiveness shown by two men.

'King said he had forgiven everyone involved in the incident."God has forgiven many people on this Earth. Not only that, but people have forgiven me over the years ... so why wouldn't I forgive them? I would have to forgive them, because I wouldn't want to go to bed with all that anger every day, being mad about something that you have no control over," he continued."

Reginald Denny, who was pulled out of his truck and beaten during the riots also forgave his attackers.

Although Denny was targeted because he is white, he said focusing on race in thinking about the riots is foolish and shortsighted.

“People seem to forget it was black folks that saved my life,” Denny said. “On one hand, there were some out there to try to kill me or do me in. On the other hand, they are trying to save me because I’m not the enemy, and believe me I am not the enemy.”  At the time of the interview 10 years ago, Denny had long since forgiven the men who assaulted him. 

It is hard to find forgiveness when we hurt someone's feelings; it is hard to forgive when someone hurts us. Yet, when we realize the great beauty of forgiveness and how good it feels to forgive and be forgiven, it becomes easy. God is full of forgiveness, and we can be too if we ask him for that gift.