This story is incredibly sad...for both families. I understand that the family of the victims are not only angry, but confused, shocked, grief stricken and in a dark place we can only hope to avoid ourselves. When lives are taken from us in this type of fashion, it is beyond devastating.
That is why I still have hope that one day the brothers and family of the victims who have condemned Jeanette Sliwinski will find it in their hearts to forgive her. For true healing from wounds this deep can only come through forgiveness.
Again, I completely understand that the victim's family are not at the point to forgive because of where they are at in the grief process. But I still hope. I am more concerned that the media aired the thoughts made from such a place because there will be no follow up story when or if forgiveness is granted someday, and yet again the media has perpetuated the righteousness of punitive justice without hope of restoration.
When I hear one family say they wish for her to sit and think about what she did, I wonder if this is a response from a place where they do not know how to respond. She tried to commit suicide and has found herself in a worse place than before. I am certain she is thinking about it and only wishes her selfish attempt would have been successful. But that is not what we should wish upon her. Nor do we wish her to be punished. As Christians we hope she will be restored and that all of the families involved will someday find healing from their grief.
It is that forgiveness that becomes so necessary in a world of violence. Because the words of the victim's family are not far from the words of many in Iraq or even the Middle East, who have forgone forgiveness for generations and for generations the killing has not ceased.
