The biblical principle of the power and potential of forgiveness became a central theme of the day. Speaker Rev. Dale Lang from Taber, Alberta, shared his powerful story of the death of his teenage son 10 years before at the hands of a high school shooter. There was national TV coverage of the funeral. A vivid moment was when the family left the side of the casket and the mourners in the gymnasium and returned to the very spot of the shooting in the school hallway. Standing there, they offered forgiveness to the murderer of their son as the TV cameras captured the moment. Rev. Lang told his journey both to that moment of forgiveness and the journey forward of their family.
Those in attendance at the conference who represented both major ethnic groups of the Sri Lankan community were greatly resourced by Rev. Lang’s emphasis on forgiveness. This theme was further affirmed in a video presentation of the story of a church in Galle which is experiencing transformation through repentance and forgiveness. The third presentation from a high school teacher in Toronto whose father was killed in the early days of the conflict back in Sri Lanka again emphasized that it is possible through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to find healing for the deepest of wounds.
Following the presentations, all of those present were guided through intentional dialogue on the application of these principles as they met in small groups. A final and lively discussion was held in each group on “envisioning the future of Sri Lanka” based on these principles.
April 30th really marked a turning point for SL4Given as the core group with those present came to a new level of understanding of the power and potential of forgiveness as a key step to peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka and among the expatriate community.
