The Beauty of God's love and forgiveness

I remember when I was around 10 years old, there was a girl at school who was a couple of years older than me who was constantly being teased and treated harshly. I can see her clearly, as if it were yesterday, even though it was over 50 years ago. She was a stocky girl with tangled jet-black hair, and her clothes were often wrinkled, but what really caused the negative attention was her constant runny nose. There are many reasons why children are mean, but as a shy child, I'm ashamed to admit that I was a part of the crowd of spectators that quietly witnessed the daily harassment of this poor young lady. How I wish I dared to stop them, but I was just a scared, skinny kid who was thankful that they were not picking on me. After months of mean and rude comments, the rest of the students eventually learned who she was and made sure to stay far away from her. Not only was everyone afraid of catching her "cooties," whatever that meant, they also definitely did not want to be associated with her and risk being included as another target.

I rode the same bus as she did, and one afternoon, I observed an act of cruelty that was even more disturbing than the daily ritual of causing trouble. I will never forget that day, as it was one of those muggy fall afternoons, and the bus was packed. I just wanted to get home. There were a few older boys that we used to call rednecks who rode the bus, and they began their daily routine of taking turns hitting this girl on the head with heavy textbooks. We could tell it hurt by the sound it made. Of course, she started crying and telling them to stop, but this just made things worse. I felt very sorry for her, and even to this day, I become emotional when I recall this event. I think back and see myself as no better than a spectator at a Roman coliseum when Christians would be thrown to the lions. It's no excuse that I was young, weak, and afraid.

Anyway, everyone was cheering and mocking when suddenly, one of the boys grabbed her book bag and her purse out of her hands and started tossing everything out the window. I looked back and could see her books, notebooks, personal items, and papers blowing across the lawns as the bus barreled down the road. I was in shock as I realized the importance of these things and, in my sadness, I wondered how anyone could be so vicious. This was beyond cruel, and just as sick is that I can still hear the crowd cheering and going into a frenzy with laughter. It seemed many thought this public display of brutality was entertaining and that it was somehow enjoyable to watch an innocent kid scream and cry. The bus driver was hollering for everyone to keep the noise down, but I'm not sure if he knew what was going on. The atmosphere was truly a madhouse, and as far as I know, nothing was ever done about it. I will never forget the look of horror on her face.

When I was around 12, I was in a gym class with around 20 other boys, but somehow one boy had everyone in the class terrified of him. Why didn't we stand up to him? Statistics show that one in every three kids are bullied, and most of these situations are commonly kept secret. Sadly, some individuals have taken their own lives because life just seemed hopeless. Dan Pearce is quoted as saying, "People who love themselves don't hurt other people. The more we hate ourselves, the more we want others to suffer." Bullies are actually agonizing within their own conscience, and search for those they can punish to keep from dealing with empathy. However, as deep and hurtful as these attacks may be, we can turn to God and ask Him to heal our hearts and help us forgive our enemies as we overcome the feelings of rejection and resentment. Our dignity may be assaulted, vandalized, and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered. Let go of the animosity and allow God to help you find closure and rise above the trials as you press forward in the beauty of his love and the holiness of his forgiveness. If we cannot find peace within ourselves, we will not find it anywhere.

Dr. Holland is a Christian minister, chaplain, and author. Read more about LIVING ON PURPOSE at billyhollandministries.com.