Forgiveness of a Prisoner
by Mike Killebrew
The story of Louis Zamperini, as told by Laura Hillenbrand in the book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, is full of spectacular and inspiring stories—and they are factual. If you have not read the book, I would encourage you to order a copy immediately! Louis Zamperini has an incredible life story, and Laura Hillenbrand tells it eloquently. His story includes being a world class athlete and when WWII began, he joined the war effort, taking to the skies as an Army Air Corps bombardier. His story of survival is full of triumph and tragedy as he survived a crash into the Pacific Ocean, drifted for 47 days only to be captured by the Japanese, eventually ending up in a POW camp, where he endured great torment. His life story is one of heroism, cruelty, suffering, determination, remorselessness, redemption, faith – and forgiveness.
A few years after the book was published, I heard there was a movie being made. I waited in anticipation for the movie after enjoying every page of the book. I was so excited to see the movie that while I was on a family vacation, I skipped out on time at the pool to go see the movie on opening day. I believe this is the only movie I’ve watched in the theater by myself because I couldn’t get anyone else in my family away from the pool.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “the book was better than the movie,” and this was no exception. Hollywood did a spectacular job of leaving out the very best parts of the story. It was at that point, walking away from the theater, I realized why I enjoyed the full story so much. While the survival story of Louis Zamperini was mesmerizing and did make a great movie plot, the truly extraordinary part of his life followed his return from the war and imprisonment. Later in life, he came to know Jesus which changed everything for him. The best part of the book and his life story was how Zamperini was able to forgive the many who had wronged him. His story is a powerful story of forgiveness.
When I think about that trip to the movies, I have often asked myself the question “am I like Hollywood, guilty of leaving the very best part of my story out?” Forgiveness changes everything. Experiencing forgiveness is essential for our relationship with the Lord and it allows us to show the world God’s grace when we are willing to share forgiveness with others.
Please pause for a moment and reflect, take a self-evaluation, and ask some important questions.
Have you thought today about how God has forgiven you?
When was the last time you shared with someone about how the Lord has shown you forgiveness and how it has changed everything for you?
When is the last time you intentionally forgave someone else?
As a parent and as an elder in my church, I’m often thinking about how to engage with the next generation. In a brand new Barna study called THE OPEN GENERATION: How Teens around the World Relate to Jesus, there are some wonderful insights on how we can best share the message of Jesus’s Good News with teens. One of the key research items was asking this question: “The following are all biblical descriptions and characteristics of Jesus Christ. Which of the following are more important to you?” The characteristic that was picked from the list, far above the others, was Mercy. Teens are drawn to the idea of a Jesus who shows forgiveness. Teens are clearly attracted to a Savior who shows them forgiveness and grace. These insights don’t surprise me at all because I’m also drawn to Jesus because of His forgiveness and grace. Reading this study has been a great reminder for me to intentionally make forgiveness a regular part of my thinking and actions. I’m reminded to tell the story of how I’ve experienced forgiveness and to pass along that same forgiveness to others. It is so important that we are showing the next generation how to receive forgiveness and show forgiveness to others.
It goes without saying, but it’s worthwhile to say – forgiveness is hard. It is so simple to say, “I’ll forgive you because I’ve also been forgiven,” but it is hard to put those words into practice. It’s hard to make a conscious decision to let go of feelings of hurt and injustice. It is hard, and might even be impossible, to forget, especially when the offending party doesn’t seem repentant. Yet, as believers, we are clearly instructed to participate in undeserved forgiveness.
Forgiveness is hard enough that many never offer it, or even when offered, refuse to receive it. Louis Zamperini was often singled out for terrible treatment by one of the guards, Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Decades later, as Zamperini had been following his King’s example and forgiving others, Watanabe refused to see his former prisoner. Zamperini participated in the 1998 Nagano Olympic torch relay, carrying the flame for about a kilometer (0.6mi), passing the location of one of the prison camps where he’d been held. He tried to meet Watanabe but the former guard refused. Zamperini wrote a letter to him. Nobody knows if that letter was ever opened. We found a 6-minute segment done by CBS’ 60 Minutes about the two men that you can view here. Watanabe said he treated prisoners the way he did because “they were enemies of Japan.”
At one time, you and I were enemies of Jesus…
Jesus emphasized just how important forgiveness is for us in Matthew 18:21-22.
Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.”
Then to illustrate, to show us how important forgiveness is, He told the parable about a man who owed his master an unpayable amount of money. That master showed forgiveness by canceling the debt that the servant had accumulated. Then that servant went to a friend and refused to forgive the minor debt between them. When the master heard about it, he was angry and threw the unforgiving servant in jail until he could pay the debt he owed.
This parable speaks so loudly to me, confronting me with the fact I can’t leave the best part of my story out. My life has been defined by the forgiveness I’ve received and when the next opportunity presents itself to show forgiveness, I’ll be ready. How about you?
