The movie “Unbroken” has been released and tells of the journey of one Louis Zamperini. He was a WWII American prisoner of war survivor. When he returned from the POW camp, he was an angry and bitter individual and his wife sent him to a Billy Graham service and his life changed dramatically. So often people who have been abused, especially in their youth, will hold resentment and bitterness towards their abuser. We can certainly understand why. People they should have felt safe with treated them in a way no one should be treated. The problem, however, is that when we harbor those feelings they interfere with other relationships. People have tried to work through them, but the sad part is until they surrender to Jesus Christ they can never be at peace. Those feelings lie just below the surface and until the love of Christ enters they will remain there.

     Zamperini returned to Japan to find the camp commander who brutalized him unmercifully. He was not interested in revenge, he wanted the Byrd (as he was known by the POWs) to know that he was forgiven. Jesus had so impacted Zamperini’s life that he knew for him to be at peace, he must forgive the one who brutalized him.

Do you need to forgive someone? Now is the time. (Ed: Remember, we're not promised a tomorrow...)
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Norm Russell