The Long Road To Forgiveness - Kim Phuc


I was listening to NPR on the way home and had my breath taken away by an audio essay that was a part of the, "This I Believe" series. Kim Phuc is best known as the girl in the famous photo of a Vietnam War napalm-bombing attack near Saigon. As I listened, I wasn't sure where she was going but was touched to the core as her story unfolded.

I encourage you to listen to her essay. The uncomfortable part of this story is that this famous photo has her running unclothed away from the napalm-bomb. But this is a powerful story of her coming to know the love of God through reading the Bible. This is how she puts it ...
In Christmas 1982, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. It was an amazing turning point in my life. God helped me to learn to forgive — the most difficult of all lessons. It didn't happen in a day and it wasn't easy. But I finally got it.
You may read or listen to her essay here, "The Long Road To Forgiveness."

Depending on your setting, this would be a powerful illustration for preaching or teaching. Of course you would avoid using the image in your worship service or class room.

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