By Shane Smith, SF Kenya
He was unable to grasp such a crazy idea.
“Why would I ever want to forgive someone?” Kamal asked his Sports Friends leader, Anthony. “It would make me look weak and stupid. Besides, I wouldn’t even know how to forgive.”
Kamal was attending a Sports Friends camp in rural Kenya where many of the youth are being recruited to join terrorist activities. The local church in his area had put together this week of camp to specifically draw in kids like him.
Kamal raised his question during a discussion on forgiveness. Anthony, prompted by the Holy Spirit, asked if he could read something from the Bible. Once Kamal said “yes,” Anthony began to read through the Lord’s Prayer. As he read “and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us”, Kamal broke down and started sobbing. He told Anthony he wanted this type of forgiveness and asked Anthony to pray for him.
When Kamal returned to his small group he asked for permission to share with his friends. He announced, “My fellow teammates, I really love you and I don’t want you to miss what I have just received. It’s a great love from God. No one else can give you this love. Please come and receive it.”
Five other boys immediately came to Christ!
Later that day, one of the five new Christians told a friend that he was going to return home and forgive his father with whom he had constantly been fighting. The boy had recently moved in with his mother and sided with her in a disagreement against his father. As he was sharing, his friend began crying because he was in a similar situation.
His friend also placed his trust in Christ and both friends returned home to ask for forgiveness from their fathers.
Later, the boys’ parents brought gifts to the local pastor and the coach to thank them for the positive influence they’d had on their children. Both sets of parents have now forgiven each other as well and are living at peace.
This incredible chain of forgiveness began when one boy at Sports Friends camp asked the question, “Why would I ever want to forgive someone?”
He never anticipated that the healing power of forgiveness could reach so far.
