Wildfires haunted Gatlinburg, Tennessee a few weeks ago after two teenage boys dropped matches in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. This fire led to the loss of many homes and businesses and in the deaths of 14 people. Among the dead are the wife and daughters of Michael Reed.
Michael Reed released a statement addressing the two boys who started the fire that you can read here. In this statement, Reed forgives the boys, but not for them, for himself, his lost family, and his community. He goes on to say that he will pray for the boys and their family because that is what Jesus would do. Reed concludes, “Faith…. Hope… Love… The greatest of these is Love.”
Reed’s statement is so powerful. He lost his wife and his daughters, almost everything that he has, but he is still able to forgive the teenagers who caused all this loss. Reed teaches us the power of forgiveness. Forgiveness can be freeing, but it frees the person forgiving, not necessarily the one being forgiven. Jesus calls us to forgive and to love all. But even if you are not religious, being forgiving is linked to a longer and happier life according to Psychology Today. Many times, it can be hard to forgive, but Reed somehow found the strength to forgive in one of the toughest situations.
*Information on the Gatlinburg Fire and the charges faced by the teenagers was found here.
