Gatlinburg Family Forgives Arson Suspects For Killing The Wife And Two Daughters
A Gatlinburg family who lost three members, the wife and two daughters, has released an open letter of forgiveness to the two teenage arson suspects allegedly responsible for starting the lethal fire.
Michael Reed, the father of the family, posted a message of forgiveness on Facebook this past Thursday to the two teenagers believed responsible. Reed lost his wife, Constance, 34, and daughters Chloe, 12, and Lily, 9, in the Gatlinburg fire responsible for claiming 14 lives.
Reed acknowledges that he believes the teens never intended to kill anyone when they started what became the Gatlinburg fire. According to USA Today, Reed believes the two teens “are too young to ‘know God’s design’ and ‘haven’t lived enough of life to know the consequences of their actions.'”
USA Today also stated that Reed wrote the Gatlinburg arsonists: “We will pray for you. Every day. We will pray for your parents and your family members. Every day. We will pray for your peace. We will show you grace. Why? Because that’s what Jesus would do.
“Faith…Hope…Love…
“The greatest of these is Love.”
Part of the reason for Reed’s forgiveness is not just for the two teens, but also for him and his 15-year-old son who survived the Gatlinburg fire.
“As humans it is sometimes hard to show grace. We hold grudges. We stay angry. We point the finger and feel we have to lay the blame somewhere. It’s human nature and completely understandable. But I did not raise my children to live with hate. I did not teach my girls or my son to point the finger at others. John 8:7 says, ‘Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.’
“Forgiveness isn’t for you. It is for me. It is for my son. It is for Constance, Chloe and Lily. It is for this community who all lost so much in this tragedy.”
In a time of tragedy, of a trial few undergo in their lifetime, the Reed family’s message of hope and forgiveness to the Gatlinburg arsonists is a testament to their faith.
Besides the aforementioned John 8:7 passage, Reed references another popular Bible passage. I Corinthians 13 speaks of the value of love, and at the end of his letter, Reed refers to that passage when he claims “the greatest of these is Love.”
And the Reed’s forgiveness of the Gatlinburg arsonists is no small thing. They lost three family members at once.
They are not the only ones to suffer. Another 11 people outside the Reed family died in the Gatlinburg fire, bringing the death toll to 14. Another 175 have been injured. According to the Palm Beach Post, “Damage was valued at more than $500 million to the more than 2,400 houses, businesses and other buildings destroyed. The federal government said nearly 20,000 acres of Great Smoky Mountains National Park were scorched.” This makes the Gatlinburg fire one of the biggest in the eastern U.S. in decades.
The two unnamed arsonists believed to be responsible for the Gatlinburg fire also face a very trying time ahead of them, possibly for the rest of their lives. If the two are convicted of the aggravated arson account, they could spend up to 60 years in prison. If they also are tried and convicted on the potential multiple counts of murder, the arsonists could easily receive a life sentence for the deaths from the Gatlinburg fire. The sentencing will also be dependent on whether or not the two will end up being sentenced as juveniles or as adults.
The full text of Michael Reed’s letter can be found on the Gatlinburg Fire Missing or Found Facebook page. This group is working to reunite families and pets after the blaze.
https://www.facebook.com/gatlinburgfire2016/posts/219037535209859
Hopefully the other victims’ families will be able to come to the peace that the Reed family has apparently obtained.
So what do you think of the Reed’s open letter? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!
[Featured Image by U.S. Department of Defense Current Photos |Flickr| Cropped and Resized | Public Domain]
