Another example from current news.
First, let me say that I know very little of the details of the crime on which this story is based. I will not speculate on the details, the motives, nor the outcome of any trials that are pending. What I will discuss is the way one of the lives impacted by this crime reacted and the impact his response should have on us.

On a Wednesday night in September, Mary Winkler killed her husband, a Church of Christ minister with a shotgun, took her 3 small children in the family van and fled toward the coast of Alabama. After her husband's body was discovered by church members, an Amber alert was posted, and Mary was apprehended with the children in an eating establishment in Alabama.

Mary's father-in-law, Dan Winkler, an adjunct professor of Bible at Freed-Hardeman University was called to pick up the children, which he did, then drove 14 hours back to his home on Saturday, arriving late Saturday evening.

Dan was a minister who had been scheduled to speak, but due to events that had transpired, it was not expected that he would be able to do so, and a substitute had been arranged for that Sunday morning. Dan, however, believed that he had a message that he had to deliver, and so he did speak. I was privileged to hear his recorded message last night, and to hear a discussion on its impact. I am only disappointed that every human on this earth cannot hear that message and the example of Christian love that exuded from every word.

First, I will comment on some blogs that I visited that speculatively tried to explain some "reasons" why this event must have happened. One in particular was by someone who had attended a few very conservative CoCs and had concluded that they institutionally repressed women to the point of frustration and desparity. Others commented on the horror of living as a minister's wife in a "fishbowl" environment that was unbearable. Still others commented on having a CoC minister father/husband/minister who laughed at threats to expose his misdeeds since his external persona was so loved and trusted by congregants. How utterly unredeemable such speculation is without any substantiation! It is only proof that prejudice will always have a tendency to arise based on one's past experience, and that prejudice will always impede the right relationship with our fellow humans and with God. A judgmental personality that makes up its mind based on non-existent or limited data is such a great source of grief and hatred.

Yet Dan exuded love and gratitude, after losing a son who had been such a delight to his father. NOTE: I do not comment that "there must have been something wrong in the marriage", nor "Dan's son must have some darker side of his personality that his father did not know", nor do I try to miraculously infer some understanding for which there is yet no basis. In my life I have observed many causes of horrible events, including pure fate; and physiologically functional disorders. I have been falsely accused by delusional loved ones; and at other times been so angry that I did some regrettable act or spoke unfortunate, harmful words. I know that there is simply no basis for me or anyone else to have the hubris to speculate as to motives and/or partial blame for the precipitation of this event.

What I do know is that Dan, the murdered man's father embraced his daughter-in-law after she confessed to the deed, and told her of his love for her in spite of what she had done.

I know that Dan thanked the news media for their participation in the Amber alert, and for honoring his request to refrain from questions to the family in order to protect the innocence of the 3 children.

I know that Dan had no words of rancor for anyone as he thanked his home congregation for their support.

I know that he showed the kind of love that Christ did on the cross as he asked his Father to forgive the murderers while they were engaged in the act.

If you cannot forgive the "oppressor" while they are engaged in the oppression, then you don't really understand the love of Christ. You may be expecting that you are entitled to anger and justice for the wrongs done to you while begging for mercy and grace for the wrongs you perpetrated on the Saviour of the world. You may have been quenching the Holy Spirit of Christ as He tries to dwell in you. You certainly cannot know peace as long as there is no forgiveness in your heart.

The right sad thing is loving the unloveable and forgive the unforgiveable, even while they are perpetrating a heinous deed.