Thursday, September 27, 2007

Vengeance is not ours

When something violent, tragic or wrong happens to us or one of our loved ones, it is human nature to want to exact revenge. But that is not what God wants. We need to forgive, and God will be the ultimate judge in heaven. Bishop Donald Clay, the founder of Imani Christian Academy in East Hills, Pa., recently told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review how he wanted revenge on his nephew's attacker but founded the school instead:

...one night that summer (1993)...his nephew, Charles Harper, was beaten at a party. At the hospital, Clay found the teen clinging to life. They recognized him by his shoes.

'He was disfigured,' Clay said. 'It was a level of violence I wasn't familiar with.'

Clay reacted instinctually -- he went home, grabbed a baseball bat and went looking for his nephew's attackers, he said. But as he neared the house where his nephew was jumped, Clay's car phone rang. It was Harper's step-dad.

Clay recalled the conversation: 'He said, 'I know what you're doing, and I want to do it also. But God spoke to me. He told me this is our fault. We've been so busy inside our churches that we've neglected our children.''

Clay pulled over, turned off the engine and began crying. Sitting in the car, he prayed, Clay said. And he struck a deal with God that night to never again neglect the people who most need him.

Weeks later, the first Imani class -- 30 kids and three teachers -- met at Clay's house...


Imani Christian Academy graduated two seniors nine months later and still is thriving.

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