For some reason, someone forgave someone else

Last updated on: December 4, 2012 at 1:12 pm by Bobby Ross Jr.

For some reason, someone forgave someone else 2012-12-04T13:12:46-05:00 Bobby Ross Jr.

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

If someone took your child’s life, would you forgive the killer?

Renee Napier did.

But why?

That’s the giant unanswered question — the ghost — in a recent CBS News report:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Not many convicts consider themselves blessed, but Eric Smallridge does, and for good reason. He’s getting out of prison — way early.

“It’s going to be like being on borrowed time, because I know I should still be in prison, because the justice system said I should still be in prison,” Eric says.

In 2003, Eric, of Tallahassee, Fla., was found guilty of two counts of DUI manslaughter. While driving at twice the legal limit for alcohol, he hit a car carrying Lisa Dickson and Meagan Napier, both 20, killing both girls instantly. He got 22 years for the crime, which sounded just about right to Renee Napier, Meagan’s mom.

“I felt like our system had served us well and justice had been served. I definitely felt that,” Renee says.

But a few years later, a woman came forward and asked the judge to reduce Eric’s sentence by half. She claimed Eric was truly sorry for what he’d done and deserved leniency. The judge obliged — partly because of what she said, but mostly because of who she was.

Keep reading, and Napier speaks to her change of heart:

“I could hate him forever and the world would tell me that I have a right to do that,” Renee says. “It’s not going to do me any good, and it’s not going to do him any good. I would grow old and bitter and angry and hateful. … In my opinion, forgiveness is the only way to heal.”

She says it did heal her — almost as much as it healed him.

“It was like a burden,” he says. “It was a weight off my chest. I no longer had to hide behind this facade.”

Here at GetReligion, we define holy ghosts as “facts and stories and faces linked to the power of religious faith.” Often, these facts don’t show up in a story, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. In the case of the CBS News story, I couldn’t help but think that there might be more to the story than reported. More precisely, I couldn’t help but think that perhaps, religious faith played a role in Napier’s decision to forgive.

So I checked LexisNexis and did a Google search to see if I could find any more details.

I found a recent Tennessean story that mentioned Napier inspiring the song “Forgiveness” (video above) on contemporary Christian singer Matthew West’s new album. However, that story did not delve into Napier’s faith (or lack thereof).

But then I found a 2011 blog post by a Baptist pastor in Florida that did some GetReligion-style ghostbusting on Napier:

I had Renee’s email address from the Sheriff’s office, so I wrote her an email explaining that we were so proud to host her, but asking about this concept of forgiveness. I mentioned that as believers, we understand forgiveness (or at least say we do) and that I have preached about the revolutionary power of it. I asked if she had a faith background and wondered if that led her to be able to promote forgiveness in such a way.

It wasn’t long before my phone rang. Renee had called me. She said she was writing an email response and decided that a phone call would be better. We talked for quite some time and she shared how her faith in Jesus Christ was what enabled and empowered her to forgive Eric. I was so encouraged and overwhelmed by this. To hear a mother that had lost one of her children in such a way offer true forgiveness was incredible.

It’s too bad that CBS News didn’t think to ask the same highly relevant question.

Previous Post

December 3, 2012

Pod people: Can the MSM find centrists in gay-rights wars?

Next Post

December 4, 2012 And now, ironic Episcopal PR from South Florida

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 5Q+1 Academia Anglicanism Announcements Atheists & Agnostics Baptists Books Business & Economy Catholicism Creeping Fundamentalism Education Ethics Evangelicals Film First Person gays Godbeat Got news? Humor Interviews Islam Journalism Judaism Lutherans Mainline Marriage & family Middle East Mormons Music Nones Orthodoxy Pagans Pentecostalism People Podcasts Politics Pop Culture Race Radio & TV Religion religious liberty Same-sex marriage Science Sex Social Issues Sports Uncategorized Vatican Web/Tech What is this? World World Religions Worship

Select a Month August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 May 2010 July 2009 February 2009 October 2008 July 2008 January 2007 August 2006 July 2006 October 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Apostle" mean in Greek?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Preacher One who is sent King Elder