When forgiveness is a matter of life or death

What more is there to be said about the tragic deaths of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran that hasn’t already been said?   We know the story – two men who made terrible decisions to be involved in drug smuggling, but who in prison turned their lives around to become men who others looked up to, found comfort from and a source of hope to many.  

This is a case of lives lost, lives redeemed and then lives lost again.   It is with great sadness that we mourn their death.   It is hard to conceive of many more worthy cases for grace, mercy and forgiveness to be extended – not that they might escape all punishment, but that they might be able to continue to live, and to make valued contributions in this world.

At PeaceWise, we grieve with the families of Andrew and Myuran at this sad time.  We wish that they had been extended the gift of forgiveness.

And we look inside ourselves as we reflect on how significant the impact and decision on whether or not to forgive others can be.

May each of us strive to be people who readily and frequently forgive, knowing how much we ourselves have been forgiven.