Radical Forgiveness - Corrie ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom's struggle to forgive is well known in Christian circles, but it is worth repeating since she overcame good with evil and did so mainly by trusting in the goodness of God's commands. During World War II Corrie and her family rescued Jews from slaughter by hiding them in their house. The ten Booms were betrayed, caught, and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp. More than 96,000 women died there, one of whom was Corrie's beloved sister, Betsie.

Some years later, Corrie gave a speech at church in Numich, after which a heavyset man approached her. Corrie recognized him as one of the most brutal guards in her camp. She froze in pain and anguish. The man said to her, "Since that time, I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein - will you forgive me?" Corrie wrestled with what she said. It was the most difficult thing she ever did. She wrote,

I had to do it - I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling."

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!"

For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never know God's love so intensely as I did then.

- John Ensor, The Great Work of the Gospel: How We Experience God's Grace