Some times, I find great faith in forgiveness. Take, for example, the 12-year-old boy paralyzed by a robber’s stray bullet as he was taking a piano lesson in Oakland last year. Christopher Rodriguez rolled his wheelchair to the front of the Oakland courtroom where Jared Adams, 26, had just been sentenced to 70 years to life in prison. Then he shook the convicted man’s hand. “I don’t know where that came from,” Christopher’s mother, Jennifer Rodriguez, said later. “We didn’t talk about it or plan it. It came from within himself.”
I found a great quote by English historian Lawrence Stone: “Only the brave know how to forgive; it is the most refined and generous pitch of virtue human nature can arrive at.” While some things should not be forgotten or forgiven, I think this young man’s actions show a generous heart and a brave soul. Truly, the actions of children often give me great faith for mankind.
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So true. Somehow peace grows from being able to forgive. It’s such a relief to shed resentment. Nice post. Thanks.
Wow! Sounds like that boy is mature beyond his years and I bet he’ll go on to do great things in spite of his misfortune.