Called to Forgive

The Charleston Church Shooting, a Victim's Husband, and the Path to Healing and Peace

Anthony B. Thompson, Denise George

• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
• Year: 2019
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9781493418718
• Subtopic: Religion
• Index: Social Sciences

While the murder of his wife devastated Anthony Thompson, he and three other relatives of victims chose to privately and publicly forgive the shooter. Years later, the church and community still struggle to understand the family members' deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians have witnessed these incredible acts of forgiveness, something significant has happened to the community--black and white leaders and residents have united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love.

This book is the account of Anthony's wife's murder, the grief he experienced, and how and why he made the radical choice to forgive the killer. But beyond that, Anthony goes on to teach what forgiveness can and should look like in each of our lives--both personally, in our communities, and even in our nation. After much pain, reflection, and study, Thompson shares how true biblical love and mercy differ from the way these ideas are reflected in our culture.

Be inspired by this remarkable story and discover how the difficult decision to forgive can become the key to radical change.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Endorsements
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. The Unthinkable Tragedy
• 2. The Aftermath
• 3. Dylann Storm Roof
• 4. The Decision
• 5. A Mighty Long Journey
• 6. Missing Myra
• 7. A Community and Nation React
• 8. Honoring Myra’s Wishes
• 9. The Deadly Dis-ease of Unforgiveness
• 10. The Path to Healing and Peace
• Epilogue
• Bible Study Questions
• Appendix 1: A Call to Prayer from the Bishops in South Carolina
• Appendix 2: Charleston Shooting, Trial, and Remembrance Timeline
• Appendix 3: The Ten Stages of Biblical Forgiveness
• Appendix 4: The Resolution to Recognize, Denounce and Apologize for the City’s Involvement with Slavery
• Appendix 5: Myra’s Bible Study on Jesus’ Parable of the Sower (from Mark 4)
• Notes
• About the Authors
• Back Cover