“On the cross, our savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’ That young man [Tyler Robinson], I forgive him… I forgive him because it was what Christ did… The answer to hate is not hate. The answer, we know, from the Gospel is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
–Erika Kirk
Erika spoke these words as she mourned the sudden loss of her husband, knowing her two young children would grow up without their father. Yet even in grief, she extends her forgiveness to the assassin of her late husband. Erika’s quote illustrates what Christ has taught us: to forgive and love our enemies. This is the heart of the Gospel message.
Oftentimes, our first instinct is to seek revenge when we are wronged, and anger comes naturally. It can be extraordinarily difficult to forgive – almost impossible. When someone wrongs us, betrays us, or insults us, we want to seek revenge or even vengeance. We want the person who caused us pain to feel the same suffering we felt in our pursuit of justice. However, our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to go beyond our human desire for retribution and to love and forgive our enemies. Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew’s Gospel, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Jesus continues in Luke’s Gospel, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28).
Revenge is the easy path to a false sense of fulfillment. Revenge encourages sin, such as wrath, which clouds the moral conscience God has instilled in all of us. Forgiveness is to let God decide the wrongdoer’s punishment. By allowing God to have his justice, it saves us from blindly sinning. Instead of going “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise” (Exodus 21:24) and spreading further violence, to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39) allows God to work in the way He intended it to be. In a way, forgiveness is the best form of revenge, for it is the most just and right in the way God wills it.
Forgiveness is not a feeling that comes naturally to us when we are wronged. It seems almost unthinkable, yet Erika chose the more difficult road of mercy and forgiveness. She chose to follow what Christ has taught us, which is to forgive as Christ forgives us, “…[Forgive] each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Jesus Christ spoke the following words as He hung from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Christ was forgiving the very people who mocked Him, beat Him, and crucified Him on the cross. Christ was showing that love and mercy are stronger than hate. Peter continues this theme of forgiveness in his letter, saying, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).
Forgiveness may be one of the most difficult commands of Christ. It is easy to love those who love us back and to show kindness when it is returned. But to forgive someone who hurts us, bless those who curse us out, and to pray for those who mistreat us, this requires faith and humility. It is not something we can do on our own. It is only through Christ living in our hearts and minds that we can forgive our enemies as Christ forgave us for our wrongdoings. True forgiveness is an act of faith and requires us to trust that God’s plan is greater than our pains. God’s grace and mercy can heal what vengeance and retribution could never heal. Holding on to anger and vengeance only weighs us down, but forgiveness sets us free.
When you are wronged, humiliated, mocked, and you feel this anger in your heart to seek revenge, remember the Cross and the teachings of Christ. Remember that Jesus Christ forgave His executioners, and Christ forgave you. May this remind us that forgiveness is not weakness but divine strength from God – the strength to love when love seems impossible. So remember the Cross, where Christ’s perfect love defeated sin, and may this love and mercy guide us to forgive and love others as Christ loves and forgives us. In the words of Erika Kirk, “Choose prayer. Choose courage. Choose beauty. Choose adventure. Choose family. Choose a life of faith. Most importantly, choose Christ.”
Nice job on the article guys! This is a great reflection to draw from what Erika kirk said at Charlie’s memorial. It was a sentiment that was echoed on our own campus when we had a service for Kirk.