The Power of Forgiveness

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You've heard about what Erica Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk,
said yesterday when she spoke at his massive funeral memorial
in Phoenix, But if you haven't actually heard it yourself,
here it.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Is my husband, Charlie. He wanted to save young men
just like the one who took his life, that young man,

(00:47):
that young man on the cross, Our Savior said, Father,
forgive them, for they know what they do.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
That man, that young man, I forgive him.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
A remarkable testament to Christian fidelity at the most difficult
moment imaginable. And I think that's going to be just
inspiring to so many people who may have who may
be searching, who may be open, who are not hostile
to the idea of faith, no doubt, And because this

(01:38):
will go far and wide. This isn't just the folks
who happened to tune in yesterday.

Speaker 4 (01:42):
No, that's a viral moment that's all over social media.
It's inspiring, and not just people who may be on
the fringe, but people who have suffered extraordinary loss, whether
it is to a drunk driver or maybe some sort
of random act of violence, or maybe malpractice. Somebody who
has suffered gravely a tremendous loss. Like ms Kirk has

(02:06):
that forgiveness could inspire others to forgive, because the truth is,
it takes the strongest person to forgive. It's the most challenging,
most mentally and in some cases physically demanding, thing that
a human being can do is to forgive someone else.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
And the great irony or contradiction of whatever their proper
term is about it to me is that. And this
is where the power is. I think is that it's
easy to know what you should do in that moment, right,
but extraordinarily hard to do it if you I don't
know that. I don't know that I could.

Speaker 4 (02:42):
I don't know that I could well, I think, but
she was tested in a way that few have been,
and she remembers she didn't have a father.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
I don't think. I don't think I could. Certainly if
it was one of my children, I don't think I could. Well,
But I know that that's what Jesus would do. Sure
you know if you believe. So it's easy to know,
but it's not easy to do well, and no doubt.
And the thing about it sadler is that many profess
to be followers of Christ because it's convenient because they

(03:11):
have some sort of belief mechanism within them, or they
practice their religion. But when the rubber hits the road,
when it comes down to the you know what cutting,
do they really follow him or do they really believe that?
And if so, then what you saw is what should
be put in practice. It's hard to do.

Speaker 4 (03:32):
It's the hardest thing, you know, because we have the
coping mechanism within us is to blame somebody. I'm taking
this burden off of me, to blame you for doing it. Well,
but hate corrodes the container that carries it, and she's
giving that up and it's inspiring.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
And I played a little bit of the of the
Stephen Miller audio. He was also spoke at the service yesterday,
and Doug was completely turned off by that, me too,
because on the email he said, I don't recall ever
hearing an American speech more disturbing or frightening than what
Stephen Miller said.

Speaker 4 (04:09):
I didn't at the Kirk memorial. That was not the
time replacement in my view.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Well, it depends on how you receive it and how
you what you believe about what he meant. I think
what he's talking about you know, the the Edict and
the Bible to put on the whole armor of God,
and it is it is a battle. It's a spiritual battle,
the spiritual about it, not a physical one. Right, yes,
it was a physical one. We have to win this war. Okay,

(04:37):
Well what war would that be?

Speaker 3 (04:38):
Stephen?

Speaker 1 (04:39):
He Well, his invective is appropriate if you look around
the culture, it's perfectly obvious what it is. Bro I think.
But anyway, I understand what Doug is saying. You could
you could wash that and say, oh, yeah, what are
you talking. That's exactly how I were talking about. Not there,
not in that not in that setting. There are better settings,
more appropriate settings for invective yesterday at that memorial service

(05:03):
for a Christian, a peaceful warrior, a Christian of extraordinary faith,
one hundred percent fidelity. That's not the I suspect what
he said, falling on the ears of the unconvinced are
probably destructive, just as Erica Kirk's words are inspiring. So

(05:27):
to that extent, I agree with you. But if you
if you kind of understand what I think he was
referring to, given the biblical edicts, I think it was okay.
But a lot of people turned off by it,