Forgiveness Heals the Deepest Wounds

Sue Norton lives in Arkansas City, Kansas. She received terrible news during a phone call from her brother in January 1990. Her much beloved father, Richard Denny and his wife Virginia were found murdered in their home. Sue’s father was shot to death in his isolated Oklahoma farmhouse. The crime netted the killer $17.00 and an old truck.

Sue says she felt "numb". She couldn’t understand why someone would want to hurt people who were old and poor. The loss of her father just broke her heart.

	Ms. Sue Norton

Sue sat through the trial of Robert Knighton (B.K.). She was confused about how she should feel. She tells that everyone in the courtroom was consumed with hate. They all expected her to feel the same way. But she couldn’t hate that way because she says, "It didn’t feel good."

For the last night of the trial, she knew, there must be another way. She couldn’t eat or sleep that night and prayed to God to help her. When morning came, she had this thought. "Sue, you don’t have to hate B.K., you could forgive him".

For the last night of the trial, she knew, there must be another way. She couldn’t eat or sleep that night and prayed to God to help her. When morning came, she had this thought. "Sue, you don’t have to hate B.K.,
you could forgive him".

The next day, while the jury was out for deliberation, Sue got permission to visit B.K. through the bars of his holding cell. Sue relates, "I was really frightened. This was my first experience in a jail. B.K. was big and tall; he was shackled and had cold steely eyes."

At first, B.K. refused to look at Sue. She asked him to turn around and he answered, "Why would any one want to talk to me after what I have done?" Sue replied, "I don’t know what to say to you. But I want you to know that I don’t hate you. My grandmother always taught me not to use the word hate. She taught me that we are here to love one another. If you are guilty, I forgive you.”

B.K. thought Sue was just playing games. He couldn’t understand how she could forgive him for such a terrible crime. Sue says, "I didn’t think of him as killer, I thought of him as a human being.”

"Why would any one want to talk to me after what I have done?"

Sue replied, "I don’t know what to say to you. But I want you to know that I don’t hate you. My grandmother always taught me not to use the word hate. She taught me that we are here to love one another. If you are guilty, I forgive you.”

People thought that Sue had lost her mind. Friends would step to the other side of the road to avoid her. But Sue says, "There is no way to heal and get over the trauma without forgiveness. You must forgive and forget, and get on with your life. That is what Jesus would do.”

B.K. resides on death row in Oklahoma. Sue often writes to him and visits occasionally. She feels that B.K. should never leave prison, but she does not want him executed. She has become friends with B.K. and because of her love and friendship he has now become a devout Christian.

Sue states that some good has come out of her father’s death. "I have been able to witness to many people about Jesus and forgiveness, and helped others to heal. I have brought B.K. and many other men on death row to our Lord Jesus Christ. I live in peace with my Lord!"

Ref: http://www.catherineblountfdn.org/rsof.htm

God loves the kindly, and those who remember God and seek forgiveness for their offences when they commit some shocking deed or harm themselves (for who forgives offences besides God?) and do not knowingly persist in whatever they have been doing. Those will have forgiveness from their Lord as their reward, plus gardens through which rivers flow to live in for ever. How blissful will such workers' wages be!

- Holy Koran, Chapter 3 v133

When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbours… But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous….

~ (Gospel of Luke 14:12-13)

		"Kshama is Sathyam, Truth"

Only a person who has this attitude of Kshama (forgiveness) can be considered to be endowed with sacred love. This cannot be learned from textbooks.

You are embodiments of strength, not weakness. Therefore, in times of despair, you should be filled with the feeling of forbearance and be ready to forgive and forget.

Nor can it be acquired from preceptors, nor from any one else. It is to be cultivated by oneself in times of difficulties, trials and tribulations that one is forced to meet. Only when we face problems and difficulties that cause grief and misery this quality of forbearance and forgiveness has the scope for taking root.

When you are confronted with tribulations you should not get upset, and become victims of depression which is a sign of weakness. You should bring in tolerance and an attitude of forgiveness into play; And do not get agitated giving rise to anger, hatred and revengeful attitude.

You are embodiments of strength, not weakness. Therefore, in times of despair, you should be filled with the feeling of forbearance and be ready to forgive and forget. This quality of Kshama is the greatest power for a human being. If one loses this quality, he becomes demonic.

Kshama is Sathyam, Truth.
Kshama is Dharma, Righteousness.
Kshama is Ahimsa, Non-Violence.
Kshama is Yajna, Sacrifice.
Kshama is Santhosha, Happiness.
Kshama is Dhaya, Compassion.
Kshama is everything in the world.

~ From a Divine Discourse delivered on 1st January 1994