Don’t see the audio player? Click here.
Years ago, a man and woman were driving a van on Chicago’s Northwest toll way. Their two children were in the back seat. An ex-con in a white Cadillac pulled up behind them. He tailgated inches from their rear bumper. The man in the van slowed down. The Cadillac driver then pulled ahead of the van, suddenly swerved back in front of it, and then sped off. The van driver took off, caught up to the Cadillac, and began screaming at the driver. That is when the Cadillac driver pulled out a handgun and fired at the van. He hit the man’s daughter in the eye. She lost sight in one eye, was half-blind in the other one; and she suffered mental disorders. Anger can have tragic results. Perhaps that is why Solomon chose to forgive his older half-brother, Adonijah. We read in 1 Kings 1, that Adonijah tried to take the kingship from Solomon with a coup. When King David, Solomon’s father, found out about the planned coup, he quickly anointed Solomon before Adonijah could claim the throne. The new king could have killed his brother for this evil deed. Instead, Solomon chose to forgive Adonijah. He said this: “If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched.” Solomon chose not to let anger control him. Let us be like Solomon. When others offend us, let us take the high road. Forgive. It pays.
