How do we forgive Dzhokhar Tsarnaev?

  • Thread starter Thread starter OneSheep
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
O

OneSheep

Guest
Hello Forum-visitors,

As the trial of the Boston Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, concludes, there is a challenge to us Christians. First, there is the call to love our neighbors, and though it is very difficult to love some people, it is very easy to love and empathize with the innocent.

In addition, we are compelled to protect those we love, and when we see innocent people killed and maimed as happened in Boston, we immediately see the injustice. By our nature, we react with immediate resentment and hatred toward those who do evil. It is human to think of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as a monster, an evil presence, an evil person.

An adult with a normal conscience will react to that reaction, refuse to hate and dehumanize and will stand in that balance, denying the compulsion to hate, but demanding that the guilty pay for their sins, and such payment may include wanting death to the perpetrator of evil. All of this is natural, it is the act of the natural conscience.

In contrast, Jesus calls us to the supernatural:

Mark 11:25

New International Version
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Forgiveness is for the forgiver, not for the one we forgive. It is an act of love that brings us to holiness. The question is, how do we forgive, and how do we know when we have truly forgiven?

Please post insights as to what works for you. If you disagree with the call to forgive, feel free to voice that also!🙂
 
Honestly, there are some cases like this that really presents a trial for me. I just have to hold onto “Judge not, lest ye be judged”. Matthew 7:1 God will handle the outcome of this situation, as he does all things. I cannot judge this person, and I know I must forgive him also. That does not mean that I forget.
 
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has not offended me on a personal level, so there is nothing for me to forgive. However, he has committed a number of crimes against society, and it is up to the God-ordained officials of society (the judge and the jury, not I or the other denizens of these forums) to first determine his guilt (as they have done – guilty on all 30 counts) and then, possibly as early as next week, to determine the punishment.
 
Convert1 said:
Honestly, there are some cases like this that really presents a trial for me. I just have to hold onto “Judge not, lest ye be judged”. Matthew 7:1 God will handle the outcome of this situation, as he does all things. I cannot judge this person, and I know I must forgive him also. That does not mean that I forget.
Click to expand...
Hi Convert1,

Thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut. The way I look at it, my own judging happens much faster than my thinking “I should not judge”. Our judging is automatic and immediate. Jesus spends much more breath on forgiving than not judging, and if we never judge anyone, who do we need to forgive, anyway?🙂

The question is, how does one go about it? Certainly, we start with prayer for the person, and prayer for the ability to forgive. Then what? Understanding, which is a virtue and a gift of the Spirit, plays a huge role. Is that your experience also?

As far as forgetting goes, it is not our calling to forget. However, if my remembrance involves a carried grudge, then I haven’t forgiven. Is that your experience also?

thanks again for your response!🙂
 
DaveBj said:
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has not offended me on a personal level, so there is nothing for me to forgive.
Click to expand...
Hi Dave,

The way I read Mark 11:25, it doesn’t matter how “personal” the offense is. What does matter is whether or not I hold anything against DT, and that was certainly the case.

If I was emotionally distant from the victims, I guess I could have avoided offense, but that is the “catch” of our faith, we are called to an emotional connection, a love for all people. The price of that love is that offense will be triggered when someone I love has been harmed. I did not know the people harmed, but I value their lives, so offense happened. This is no different than when I hear of harm to the unborn. I take offense, and I am called to forgive. In the end, forgiveness is its own reward. Is this your experience too?

Thanks, Dave, for your response!🙂
 
I heard a beautiful thought on this recently. I wish I can recall where I heard it or who said it, but basically it was just that God only needs us to truly desire to be able to forgive… if we have that desire, He can work with that.

I know when someone has wronged me and hurt me, (nothing like in the case of what the bomber did) I would pray for that person, and that their needs are met and that God blesses them as I would want done to me. It was hard to do, but in time, I found God worked in me and I had forgiven that person.

This is a tough one though… I pray that we all could be more like Christ here… it would make the world a much better place if we could. Again, if we have the desire though, I believe God can work with that.

Happy Easter!
 
I think when it’s difficult (or seems impossible) to forgive someone, there are two things we need to do:
  1. Ask the Holy Spirit to help us. We don’t know how to pray as we ought and the Holy Spirit will show us how to pray, and can change our own heart. This may take a long time, but keep praying and asking!
  2. Pray for the person you find it hard to forgive. The LORD knows how you feel! Sometimes I simply say, “LORD, I know you died for this person too. I simply pray “for” him and place my trust in you.”
:grouphug:
 
I think of a little Iraqi boy Abdul Hakeem, whose face was badly maimed by an American mortar in 2004. Surely one of many.
 
How do we forgive Dzhokhar Tsarnaev?

Just picture this. When you die and go to heaven, as we hope you do, you might see Dzhokhar Tsarnaev there. You might ask Saint Peter “What is he doing here?” to which he will reply “He asked the same about you.”

 
To SteveGravy: Hmm! Let me think about this. Wait, there is no thinking necessary!!!
 
We must forgive everyone even if they don’t want forgiveness.

Maybe he will become Catholic in 40 years time in prison?
 
Ignatius said:
Forgiveness doesn’t mean no temporal punishment is incurred.
Click to expand...
But none of us are in a position to punish him, so that is not an issue.

I doubt the judge in Boston is reading the forum.

ICXC NIKA
 
KD8TZC said:
I heard a beautiful thought on this recently. I wish I can recall where I heard it or who said it, but basically it was just that God only needs us to truly desire to be able to forgive… if we have that desire, He can work with that.

I know when someone has wronged me and hurt me, (nothing like in the case of what the bomber did) I would pray for that person, and that their needs are met and that God blesses them as I would want done to me. It was hard to do, but in time, I found God worked in me and I had forgiven that person.

This is a tough one though… I pray that we all could be more like Christ here… it would make the world a much better place if we could. Again, if we have the desire though, I believe God can work with that.

Happy Easter!
Click to expand...
Wow, those are great insights! Thanks!🙂
LPS said:
I think when it’s difficult (or seems impossible) to forgive someone, there are two things we need to do:
  1. Ask the Holy Spirit to help us. We don’t know how to pray as we ought and the Holy Spirit will show us how to pray, and can change our own heart. This may take a long time, but keep praying and asking!
  2. Pray for the person you find it hard to forgive. The LORD knows how you feel! Sometimes I simply say, “LORD, I know you died for this person too. I simply pray “for” him and place my trust in you.”
:grouphug:
Click to expand...
Yes! I agree. Sometimes I have to pray against what seems like resistance from every bone in my body, and it may even seem very fake in the beginning. But it works!

Thanks!🙂
 
pollycarp said:
I think of a little Iraqi boy Abdul Hakeem, whose face was badly maimed by an American mortar in 2004. Surely one of many.
Click to expand...
Hi Pollycarp,

I think what you are saying is that all of us share in responsibility for violence in the world.
This is true.

What helps me to forgive is to come to the point of reflection where I can truly say "I could have done just as DT did, given his perception of the situation and motives.

We are all capable of doing great evil in the process of what we see as administration of justice. It takes a lot of humility to admit this. To me, forgiveness involves taking on the humility to admit that Dzhokhar is no different than I am, he saw people with eyes blinded by hatred and resentment. I saw Dzhokhar with eyes blinded by hatred and resentment, before I forgave.

We are also called to forgive those who maimed Abdul Hakeem.

Thanks for your response!🙂
 
OneSheep said:
Hi Convert1,

Thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut. The way I look at it, my own judging happens much faster than my thinking “I should not judge”. Our judging is automatic and immediate. Jesus spends much more breath on forgiving than not judging, and if we never judge anyone, who do we need to forgive, anyway?🙂

The question is, how does one go about it? Certainly, we start with prayer for the person, and prayer for the ability to forgive. Then what? Understanding, which is a virtue and a gift of the Spirit, plays a huge role. Is that your experience also?

As far as forgetting goes, it is not our calling to forget. However, if my remembrance involves a carried grudge, then I haven’t forgiven. Is that your experience also?

thanks again for your response!🙂
Click to expand...
Hey OneSheep:
As I said, I really struggle when atrocities happen to my brothers and sisters in this world and forgiving the person who caused the harm is often difficult. If that is “automatic judgment” then you may be right. However, I certainly pray for the guilty party; and I also pray for myself. I need help in dealing with my feelings and obtaining forgiveness through the Holy Spirit. Not only in the actual forgiveness, but also balancing the importance of recognizing the pain and suffering of those involved yet not holding to a grudge or malicious thoughts toward the person committing the atrocity. My experience yields this all to be difficult to navigate. that’s all.
 
Convert1 said:
Hey OneSheep:
As I said, I really struggle when atrocities happen to my brothers and sisters in this world and forgiving the person who caused the harm is often difficult. If that is “automatic judgment” then you may be right. However, I certainly pray for the guilty party; and I also pray for myself. I need help in dealing with my feelings and obtaining forgiveness through the Holy Spirit. Not only in the actual forgiveness, but also balancing the importance of recognizing the pain and suffering of those involved yet not holding to a grudge or malicious thoughts toward the person committing the atrocity. My experience yields this all to be difficult to navigate. that’s all.
Click to expand...
Hi Convert1,

I share a difficulty in navigation, but with some patience, I have always found it possible to forgive. Invariably, the forgiveness in my experience involves a painful admission: “I could have done that.”

In order to get to “I could have done that”, I find guidance in the crucifixion. Jesus said, “forgive them, for they know not what they do”. Our “knowing” is greatly compromised by resentment-induced blindness, and I have found such blindness, which is all part of judgment and condemnation, is a triggered reaction. Such blindness is a reaction induced by our own functioning consciences.

So, in order to love unconditionally, I find that I have to lovingly embrace my conscience, but through understanding and prayer transcend the blocking of empathy (such blocking, an action of the conscience) towards those who have violated my sense of what is just. Essentially, I find that I must forgive my “shadow”, to use the Jungian term. As I forgive others, I find myself forgiving the parts of myself that resent. To me, forgiveness from the Spirit is realized when I have completely forgiven. For me, full realization does not come from when the Church or anyone else asserts that God forgives me unconditionally, the knowing comes from the doing, in my experience. That said, the assertions are still a guide, they set an example. Jesus forgave an unrepentant crowd, he forgave without condition, he saw their blindness. The crowd, too, was a victim, enslaved by its blindness.

Thanks for your response, I appreciate your love and concern for those who are victimized; such is our calling.🙂
 
The most effective way I have found to find forgiveness in my heart is to actively pray for the person I wish to forgive. I find it difficult to harbor bad feelings, or a lack of forgiveness, for someone who I am actively praying that God would bless.

In Tsarnaev’s case, I would pray that he find Christ while in prison and turn his life over to Him and seek forgiveness and pray for his victims souls and their families.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top