Mary Johnson’s story is moving and inspiring. In 1993, her 20-year-old son was shot and killed by 16-year-old Oshea Israel. Rather than being consumed by bitterness, Mary began visiting Oshea in prison, eventually telling him that she forgave him. When he was released, Mary welcomed Oshea into her home. In an interview with the two, Mary said, “I treat you as I would treat my own son.” Can we even imagine that kind of grace?
Honestly, probably not. As a preacher, I wonder how helpful these stories are for those of us struggling to let go of an offense. There are those who have not murdered our family, but through their gossip, they’ve murdered our reputations; through their bullying, they’ve wounded our children; by their social slights, they’ve hurt our feelings and done so again and again. Stories like Mary and Oshea’s are inspiring, but they can leave us feeling like failures in the pains we carry every day.
So, while I’m thankful for a fantastic mother and son relationship like Mary and Oshea’s, when I preach about “forgiving one another” today, I want you to see what grace can look like in your story—in OUR story. This is about “one another,” after all.
