Cornelia Johanna Arnolda ten Boom, generally known as Corrie ten Boom, (April 15, 1892 – April 15, 1983) was a Dutch Christian Holocaust survivor who helped many Jews escape the Nazis during World War II. Corrie co-wrote her autobiography, "The Hiding Place," which was later made into a movie of the same name.
She spent time in a Nazi Concentration Camp. Her sister died in that camp. Corrie survived, and years later, she saw one of the Nazi guards who had tortured her and others. He had become a Christian, and, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness that comes through knowing Jesus Christ, Corrie and her former Nazi guard embraced each other, and she forgave him.
Also see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrie_ten_Boom
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3 comments:
The gospel pushes for both repentance for sins against God and others and for forgiveness of others and their sins. We need to always look at our own sin primarily and what Christ does for us before dangerously considering writing persons off.
That being said, it would be very difficult to forgive one's torturer. We need the Holy Spirit.
An excerpt from her telling about her struggle to forgive:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/questionofgod/voices/boom.html
Russ,
You're right. If a person was raped or horribly tortured or abused, or if their child was raped or murdered, sometimes the only way to forgive them would be through the power of the Holy Spirit. In our own strength, I think it would be nearly impossible, if not completely impossible, to forgive certain things. And yet, if a Christian does forgive horrible things that were done to them, some unbelievers will not understand that.
Anonymous,
Thank you for that helpful link!
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