Persecuted Christians Choose Forgiveness Over Revenge
Christianity indeed is the true religion of peace. Despite being the most persecuted religious group in the world, with an estimated 90,000 killed for their faith in 2016, Christians still choose mercy and forgiveness over bitterness and revenge. They want to forgive and love their enemies as Christ had taught them.
The world witnessed one of the most admirable displays of forgiveness in 2015 when Beshir Kamel went on television to speak kindly to the Islamic State (IS) terrorists who beheaded 21 Coptic Christians on a beach in Libya, including two of his brothers. He also thanked them for not deleting their last words in the video where they called on the name of "Lord Jesus Christ."
Kamel even said that his mother is ready to welcome her sons' executioners in her home and "ask God to open his eyes because he was the reason her son entered the kingdom of heaven." He also prayed for the jihadists on air saying: "Dear God, please open their eyes to be saved and to quit their ignorance and the wrong teachings they were taught," Christian Today reported.
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The Coptic Orthodox Church again expressed forgiveness when its general bishop Anba Angaelos said they will not seek vengeance for the bombing of St. Mark's Cathedral in central Cairo last December.
"Historically in Egypt, after every one of these attacks or similar attacks, of course there has been anger and public outcry, but there hasn't been retaliation or revenge. That is one thing that we are very thankful for," he told Christian Post. "We are ready to and we already have forgiven people for doing this because at the end of the day, a lack of forgiveness harms us more than anyone else," he added.
Just recently, Wycliff Bible Translators recounted how a community they are ministering to in Bambalang, Cameroon still found it in their hearts to forgive the people who burned 300 houses. "In the midst of the devastation, many wanted to seek revenge," Wycliffe's President Bob Creson said. "But the words of Jesus in the Chrambo language about loving enemies have brought comfort, healing and forgiveness to the people of Bambalang," he added.
