In a small apartment
building in North Minneapolis, a 59-year-old teacher’s aid sings praise to God
for no seemingly apparent reason. Indeed, if anyone was to have issues with the
Lord, it would be Mary Johnson. In February 1993, Mary’s son, Laramiun Byrd,
was shot to death during an argument at a party. He was 20, and Mary’s only
child. The killer was a 16-year-old kid named Oshea Israel. Mary wanted
justice, telling CBS reporter Steve Hartman, “He was an animal. He deserved to
be caged.” Tried as an adult and sentenced to 25 and a half years – Oshea served 17 before being recently released.
He now lives back in the old neighborhood, next door to Mary. How a convicted
murder ended-up living a door jamb away from his victim’s mother is a story,
not of horrible misfortune, as you might expect - but of radical forgiveness.
Before his release, Mary
asked if she could meet Oshea at Minnesota’s Stillwater state prison. As a
devout Christian, she felt compelled to see if there was some way, if somehow,
she could forgive her son’s killer. Oshea says they met regularly after that.
When he got out, she introduced him to her landlord, who with Mary's blessing,
invited Oshea to move into the building. Today they don't just live close, they
are close. Mary was able to forgive. She credits God, of course, but also
concedes, “Unforgiveness is like cancer. It will eat you from the inside out.
It's not about that other person, me forgiving him does not diminish what he's
done. Yes, he murdered my son - but the forgiveness is for me. It’s to set me
free from hate and bitterness.”
For Oshea, it hasn't been
that easy. “I haven't totally forgiven myself yet, I'm learning to forgive
myself. And I'm still growing toward trying to forgive myself.” Oshea works at
a recycling plant by day and goes to college by night. He says he's determined
to payback Mary's clemency by contributing to society. In fact, he's already
working on it—singing the praises of God and forgiveness at prisons, churches
to large audiences everywhere.[1] (Watch the story here)
There is no doubt that
Mary is an incredible mother. Having lost her son, she gained another one
through the power of forgiveness. By giving grace and mercy to those who have
wounded us, we participate in God’s redemptive work. It’s the same kind of
redemptive love that compelled Jesus to cry out from the cross, “Father forgive
them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). When we participate in God’s
redemptive work it causes the onlooking world to gawk in amazement and it
invites the offender to Jesus. Paul wrote, “Our Scriptures tell us that if you
see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a
drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the
best of you; get the best of evil by doing good” (Rom. 12:20-21 MSG).
Prayer: “Lord, thank You
that there is no trouble that You cannot redeem. There is no problem in my life
that is so terrible that You cannot bring beauty from it. Help me to forgive
and stop the cycle of evil, hate and pain by giving others a measure of the
grace You have given me.”
[1]
Steve Hartman, “Love Thy Neighbor: Son’s Killer Moves Next Door,” CBS News, 8 June 2011, <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/love-thy-neighbor-sons-killer-moves-next-door/>
No comments:
Post a Comment