Amazing forgiveness

In July of 1984, when Jennifer Thompson was a twenty-three year old college student, a man broke into her apartment while she slept and raped her at knifepoint. She was eventually able to escape from him and later identified her attacker as Ronald Cotton. Though Ronald insisted that he was innocent, he was taken to court and, primarily on the basis of Jennifer’s identification of her attacker, sentenced to a life behind prison bars. Eleven years later, Cotton was allowed to take a DNA test, taking advantage of this new technology. The test proved his innocence. For more than a decade he had been behind bars for a crime he had not committed. Two years later, Donald and Jennifer met face-to-face and began a very unlikely friendship. Picking Cotton is their story.

Picking Cotton is a book that is co-authored by Jennifer and Ronald. It follows an interesting story with Jennifer narrating events up to the end of the trial, and then Ronald picking up the story, going over the trial from his perspective and describing those eleven long years in prison. While I have not had the opportunity to read this book, I've read quite a bit about this fascinating true life story. In the third part of the book, Jennifer and Ronald write together, alternating chapters as the story turns toward Ronald’s life after prison and Jennifer’s life after discovering her tragic error. In this third part we hear about what is really the heart of this story—their reconciliation. Despite what he had been through, Ronald never harbored resentment against Jennifer. When they finally decided to meet, he immediately and unreservedly forgave Jennifer for her mistake. I'm not under the impression that this is in any way a Christian book though. From my take on the book, it reads a psychological and medical perspective on why Jennifer chose the wrong man as her assailant; but never do we hear the Bible’s perspective on repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.

We do see a great example of how a man can forgive somebody who has wronged him and how he can release any kind of bitterness. We also see a woman who has wronged another person seeking his forgiveness, and true reconciliation between the offended and the offender—reconciliation that creates a new relationship and a new friendship. In this way we see just a bit of the gospel message of the Bible that tells us how God offers free forgiveness and full reconciliation to those who have offended him with their sin.

This story was first mentioned (at least to my knowledge)in Chris Braun’s excellent book Unpacking Forgiveness where the story is front and center in chapter 1. It is a powerful story and one that deserves to be told. So this is not a book recommendation per se, other than just a story that truly touched me that I thought was worth sharing. I hope that I could find such forgiveness within myself, as I know that God has forgiven me through His Son.