EPHESIANS 4:31-32

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  - Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭

Forgiveness is often a way for individuals to find healing and peace within themselves, even in the face of immense pain and loss. 

Dylann Roof was an American white supremacist who gained notoriety for committing a mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 2015. This tragic event resulted in the death of nine innocent people who gathered at a church Bible study. The nation was moved, and many skeptics sobered, by the forgiveness shown by the families of the victims who were able to let go of negative emotions and replace them with virtues like kindness, forgiveness, and love. A husband whose wife was slain said to the alleged shooter: “I forgive you and my family forgives you, but we would like for you to take this opportunity to repent, confess. Give your life to the one who matters the most, Christ.”

Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭31-‭32‬ serves as a reminder that our faith in Christ should be reflected in our attitudes and actions towards others. By choosing kindness, forgiveness, and love, we become a positive force in the world, demonstrating God's transformative power and drawing others closer to Him.

“Bitterness clouds the mind and poisons the soul.”