Dr. Tan Tek Seng

Daily Reflection

November 11, 2025

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6–7

What kind of world are we building when we choose compassion over revenge?

On June 17, 2015, a 21-year-old white man stormed into the Emmanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and opened fire during a Bible study, killing nine Black worshippers, including Nadine Collier's mother, Ethel Lance.

At the killer's first court hearing, the victim's family was invited to speak. Many expected to hear words of anger, condemnation, and hatred. However, Nadine stood before the man who had taken her mother's life and calmly uttered words that shook the entire room: "You took something extremely precious from my life, but I forgive you. You hurt me, and you hurt many others. May God have mercy on your soul."

Her response was not out of weakness or escapism, but from a profound faith—a peace that transcends reason. Nadine chose not to let hatred define her; she chose forgiveness.

This moment invites each of us—regardless of belief—to consider the possibilities that forgiveness can bring. Forgiveness does not erase pain or injustice, but it can break the cycle of revenge, freeing the wounded from their wounds and opening a path to healing for a broken world.

For the survivors of Charleston, their grief became a testament, their forgiveness a silent resistance to hatred, and their faith a source of strength that many still find difficult to comprehend.

Philippians 4:6–7 reminds us that the way from anxiety to peace is to surrender our worries to God in prayer of thanksgiving. When we trust in Him, His peace, which transcends human understanding, will strengthen and protect our hearts in Christ.

Forgiveness may not be able to change the past, but it can change the future.