At the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, I found myself thinking again about praying for one's enemies, and the process of reconciliation. On Monday, my friend Joe Canner posted a link to the story of Bryon Widner, a reformed skinhead whose new life was impeded by the venomous tattoos that covered his face. What people saw often kept them from getting to know the man whose heart had had a radical transformation.
Desperate to rid himself of the vestiges of his former life, Bryon considered extreme methods, including brushing his entire face with acid. His wife intervened, and their journey to healing began with contacting a former "enemy," Daryle Jenkins, who runs an anti-hate group called One People's Project. Through a series of conversations, Widner was finally connected to a surgeon who was able to do the necessary reparations. An anonymous donor agreed to cover the cost of the ongoing surgeries with a few conditions, including Bryon's attendance at counseling and obtaining his GED.
When Bryon met the surgeon, he found a man who was able to look beyond his tattoos. During the process which ended up taking 13 months and costing over $35,000, Bryon was in agonizing pain, but his commitment to a new life was stronger. Both the surgeon and the nursing staff "marveled at Widner's determination and endurance. The Widners
marveled at the team's level of commitment and care."
As painful as the removal of the tattoos was, the ongoing pain of what Bryon did while a skinhead enforcer continue to plague him. "Bryon has constant nightmares about what injuries he might have inflicted —injuries he can only imagine because so often he was in a drunken stupor when he beat someone up. Did he blind someone? Did he paralyze someone? He doesn't know. But there are moments of grace. After a recent screening of the documentary in California, a black woman embraced Widner in tears. "I forgive you," she cried.
The road to repentance and reconciliation is often a long and difficult one, for all parties involved, and can necessitate the support of a larger community. Stories like Widner's are inspirational, but also instructive. They encourage me to look below the surface - after all, Bryon's tattoos are truly only skin-deep. They remind me that the cost of reconciliation is high, and that I should be willing to offer my resources and encouragement to help in this restorative process, even and perhaps especially if it includes a former enemy. And they are also sobering as I realize that reconciliation may not truly be accomplished in this lifetime.
As a Christian, I remain hopeful for ultimate reconciliation. The power of Christ's atonement is applicable at exactly this point. It undergirds my belief that one day, perhaps at the end of an age, things will be "put to rights," as N.T. Wright, Anglican Bishop and New Testament scholar likes to say. Victim and perpetrator will truly be healed, and all tears, all scars, will be wiped away.
To read the entire article I've mentioned, click here. The above picture is from a documen-tary based on Widner's story which MSNBC aired on June 26.
Desperate to rid himself of the vestiges of his former life, Bryon considered extreme methods, including brushing his entire face with acid. His wife intervened, and their journey to healing began with contacting a former "enemy," Daryle Jenkins, who runs an anti-hate group called One People's Project. Through a series of conversations, Widner was finally connected to a surgeon who was able to do the necessary reparations. An anonymous donor agreed to cover the cost of the ongoing surgeries with a few conditions, including Bryon's attendance at counseling and obtaining his GED.
When Bryon met the surgeon, he found a man who was able to look beyond his tattoos. During the process which ended up taking 13 months and costing over $35,000, Bryon was in agonizing pain, but his commitment to a new life was stronger. Both the surgeon and the nursing staff "marveled at Widner's determination and endurance. The Widners
marveled at the team's level of commitment and care."
As painful as the removal of the tattoos was, the ongoing pain of what Bryon did while a skinhead enforcer continue to plague him. "Bryon has constant nightmares about what injuries he might have inflicted —injuries he can only imagine because so often he was in a drunken stupor when he beat someone up. Did he blind someone? Did he paralyze someone? He doesn't know. But there are moments of grace. After a recent screening of the documentary in California, a black woman embraced Widner in tears. "I forgive you," she cried.
The road to repentance and reconciliation is often a long and difficult one, for all parties involved, and can necessitate the support of a larger community. Stories like Widner's are inspirational, but also instructive. They encourage me to look below the surface - after all, Bryon's tattoos are truly only skin-deep. They remind me that the cost of reconciliation is high, and that I should be willing to offer my resources and encouragement to help in this restorative process, even and perhaps especially if it includes a former enemy. And they are also sobering as I realize that reconciliation may not truly be accomplished in this lifetime.
As a Christian, I remain hopeful for ultimate reconciliation. The power of Christ's atonement is applicable at exactly this point. It undergirds my belief that one day, perhaps at the end of an age, things will be "put to rights," as N.T. Wright, Anglican Bishop and New Testament scholar likes to say. Victim and perpetrator will truly be healed, and all tears, all scars, will be wiped away.
To read the entire article I've mentioned, click here. The above picture is from a documen-tary based on Widner's story which MSNBC aired on June 26.
