Last week was so busy, and I was out of the office so much, that I didn't get a chance to report on one of last week's biggest events - a day and half long trip to Jackson with Charlie Strobel. Charlie and I left Nashville before 6:00 am on Wednesday morning to arrive at Union University for an early morning talk to a Christian Ethics class. Over the next day and half, Charlie and I did 3 talks, a dinner reception, and 3 radio interviews. As Charlie said, "You really make use of every moment, don't you?" And we certainly did.

For anyone who doesn't know, Charlie's mother was murdered in 1986, while Charlie was the pastor of Holy Name Catholic Church (where our office is currently located). Charlie and his family chose, instead of revenge, to believe in what he refers to as "the miracle of forgiveness." And it is a miracle. Because as Charlie tells his story, you can hear that he and his family and are not consumed with grief or anger. They love their mother, and mourned her loss, but now can speak about her without tears and anger. As Charlie puts it, "we don't have to live with him [the murderer] every day of our lives." When we choose forgiveness over the vengeance represented by the death penalty, we choose a healthier path for the families of murder victims, not to mention a better choice for all of us, based on spirituality, justice, or economics.

Thank you, Charlie, for showing us all your light and for sharing your gifts with TCASK.