“Earn the respect of others by not mistreating someone who
has injured you." ~ Romans 12:17
The school bus door swung open and
11 year old Colin stumbled off, his book bag swinging wildly across his
back. He ran home faster than he ever
had before, not daring to look back at the other kids swarming out of the
school bus in every direction.
He heard them talking about him, snickering behind his back. He put his head down and sprinted the quarter
mile to his house. His legs grew heavy,
but he didn’t dare stop.
When he reached home Colin stood outside the door for a long
while, gasping for breath. He pulled up
his sweatshirt, examining the bruises that stained his ribs. Then he checked his eyes hoping to remove any
trace of the tears he’d been shedding. He
couldn’t let his parents know he’d been bullied and beaten today for fear of
the endless questions it would raise.
Tomorrow would be bad enough he thought; and on his birthday
no less. The physical pain he felt was
nothing compared to the humiliation he’d surely endure.
After learning of Colin’s attack, the Principal called a
meeting of the school’s Disciplinary Board.
The Board, comprised of upper class ninth-graders, would hear from all the
students involved before recommending a suitable punishment.
He said a silent prayer before his testimony. Then, stripped to its essentials, Colin told
his story absent any expression of his true suffering. His 3 attackers offered a pretty lame “sorry-we’re-just-dumb-kids”
defense.
Before deliberating, the Board’s Chairman 13 year old Lance
asked Colin if he’d like to say anything else.
Colin nodded and pleaded with surprising courage.
“Please don’t punish them!
Everyone deserves forgiveness.”
The room got deathly quiet.
“How old did you say you were Colin?” Lance asked, amazed at the maturity
of his kindhearted peer.
“I’ll be twelve
tomorrow,” Colin announced proudly.
“Are you having a party?” Lance probed.
“There’s no point,” he replied matter-of-factly. “I have no friends to invite to a birthday
party.”
“I’d be honored to be invited,” replied Lance, followed
quickly by the other eight Board members.
The Principal, who’d been silently admiring the compassion of his young
students, added, “Count me in too!” And after
word spread about Colin’s actions at the Board meeting, the Principal offered
the school’s gymnasium to handle to crowd of students who wanted to attend as a
show of support against bullying. Even
the attackers showed up and offered a public apology to Colin.
If bullying, or avoiding people who are different, is
somehow instinctive to people, so are these kind, unpredictable bursts of caring
- even for a little boy few knew, whose list of friends grew instantaneously by
the grace of God.
Dear God, please help me to forgive those who
persecute me. Help me see the good in
them that You do. Free me from the anger
that I’m feeling so that I can walk in the fruit of love, joy, and patience. Help me God to do Your will. Amen
