7 Key Spiritual Lessons that the Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf Stories are Teaching Us about the Law of Forgiveness
7 Key Spiritual Lessons that the Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf Stories are Teaching Us about the Law of Forgiveness
Man’s carnal mind is naturally inclined to seek vengeance when man has been done wrong.
In the Beginning, this was so. When God observed Abel’s sacrifice as more acceptable than Cain’s, the eldest brother sought vengeance against his sibling. That vengeance, which was deeply rooted in hatred, resulted in Cain murdering his brother. From a spiritual and psychological perspective, we can see the direct correlation between extreme bitterness, extreme anger, extreme hatred, and murder.
1 John 3:15 (AMP) alluded to this phenomenon when the writer declared, “Everyone who hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer [by God’s standards]; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” Again, at the root of all murders is extreme hatred towards a person. Therefore, to combat a spiritual, mental problem, we must exercise a spiritual, mental solution.
In today’s time, we see similar atrocities, the most current one being the stories surrounding Karmelo Anthony, Austin Metcalf, and Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf. Whenever legal matters arise, I make a consorted effort to refrain from discussing the details of a story until the entire truth is presented in the courts. This allows me to provide an accurate assessment of the issue to my Beloved audience. But given the public nature of the events and the subsequent developments, there are key lessons I want to highlight for God’s Children and rising leaders.
Most recently, in the aftermath of the killing, the racist MAGA wing of the Republican Party has taken claim of the story to push more intense racial hatred and violence, using Austin’s name, death, and image to push their anti-Black agenda. For a while now, I have told Beloveds that MAGA is nothing more than the racist Leftist lunatics who got no political play with the Democrat Party and sought to bring their chaos and destruction to the Republican Party using Trump. Now, more and more Evangelicals and Conservatives are catching onto this assessment; and we can see this plainly in the way MAGA has turned this tragic story into a hellscape for both families affected by the events.
But the reactions from Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, have been particularly interesting to me. He considers himself a fellow Christian, and after watching one of his first interviews, he indicated his desire to release forgiveness — not hatred or retaliation — towards Karmelo Anthony.
As the case progresses, I will give further assessment about the matter. But for now, I want to highlight 7 key spiritual and practical lessons this story is teaching us about the Law of Forgiveness. If you have an ear to hear, Beloved, hear what God the Holy Spirit is teaching us today.
The Law of Forgiveness is a shield against our debased nature, which seeks to bring out the worst in us when tragedy strikes. As I watched the father grieve his son’s death, I immediately empathized with him as a parent. I can’t imagine hearing about my child’s death, no matter the context. No parent should bury his child. Therefore, it made sense to me to hear him speak about forgiveness rather than vengeance or retaliation. In dark moments like these, I would not want to venture into deeper chaos. I’d want permission to grieve quietly without the rest of the world seeing me fall apart. I wouldn’t want the public to see me in a debased state, especially when the situation is shrouded in racial tension. In moments like these, the Law of Forgiveness becomes a shield to me, not an excuse for the perpetrator to do more harm to me.
The Law of Forgiveness absolves us of any punishments we are spiritually bound to receive if we fail to practice it with others. As I observed Jeff Metcalf’s attempt to make peace with Anthony’s family at the press conference, I realized this parent felt his own guilt in the tragedy and wanted reprieve and immediate absolution. When we forgive others of their trespasses against us, we position ourselves to receive God’s forgiveness for our wrongdoings, whether directly related to the current situation or past actions that led to the current tragedy. As Believers, we always want to be absolved of personal guilt and condemnation. Therefore, it makes sense to practice the Law of Forgiveness.
The Law of Forgiveness grants us immediate healing and reprieve, which keeps our minds from venturing into dark, destructive places. At any point, Jeff Metcalf could have raised millions of dollars to align with MAGA’s racism. He could have allowed himself to venture into the same darkened minds of these degenerate souls who want a Black-White race war. But the father is not seeking that. He wants immediate reprieve and healing, because American History has already shown us what happens when forgiveness is far removed from the people’s consciences.
The Law of Forgiveness keeps us from destroying ourselves by releasing the extreme anger and bitterness. As a parent, when confronted with a tragedy like the Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf one, it’s easy to become self-destructive. Extreme bitterness has often led to substance abuse, domestic violence, murder, retaliation, and all types of evil vices. Is it any wonder why a parent would seek immediate forgiveness, if nothing more than to keep himself from venturing too deeply into his own internal darkness?
The Law of Forgiveness allows the Law of Vengeance to do its work without us receiving any consequences for trying to take vengeance into our own hands. Most people consider forgiveness a weakness when, in truth, it is unmitigated strength. The laws of God work in tandem with each other. What a person sows, he reaps. When a person practices forgiveness, he receives forgiveness. And when an injustice has been committed, the Law of Vengeance goes to work. The problem arises when man takes vengeance into his own hands. In doing so, he inevitably redirects the Law of Vengeance to work against him. The Ancient Texts teach us, “Vengeance is Mine. I will repay.” And when it comes to God’s judgment and punishment, it will always be righteous. But when we fail to practice forgiveness and we assume our own vengeance, we find ourselves failing to deliver the right justice or consequences to our enemies or perpetrators. We can never accomplish what the Law of Vengeance can do when left in God’s hands. Therefore, Wisdom commands us to practice the Law of Forgiveness while the Law of Vengeance does its work on our behalf.
The Law of Forgiveness saves us from our own destruction and misery. This point coincides with point #4. And we can see what happens when darkened minds are controlled by extreme hatred and bitterness. No good thing can come of it.
The Law of Forgiveness keeps our minds clear, our hearts at peace, and our hands clean when the time for God’s righteous Vengeance arrives. A clean conscience is peace in the midst of chaos. It is poised power. And when functioning consistently in this mindset, we can rest assured, knowing all things — including dark tragedies — will work for our good because we love God and we are called according to His purpose.
Beloved, if you can see the Law of Forgiveness as:
a tool used to rebuild the waste places after experiencing trauma;
a weapon to combat destructive thoughts;
and a balm that heals all emotional wounds, you have reached a higher place in God.
As such, you will get to experience the spiritual, emotional, financial, and physical rewards that come as a result of practicing God’s perfect Law of Forgiveness. This is God’s will concerning our lives, and it behooves us to put into practice what He has already outlined as the pathway to success.
Today’s current events can all be solved when God’s Children and rising leaders learn spiritual laws and Kingdom principles while applying them to the social, political, and economic spheres. And you are invited to take part as well, Beloved.
I pray today’s teaching blessed you. To learn how to walk in forgiveness, receive your copy of my newest e-book and workbook, The Power of Forgiveness, when you donate $25 or more to The Foundation. Take the resource to heart and share it with someone in your life who needs to receive the same teaching and healing.
Until next time, Beloved, be blessed.
And as always, let’s grow together!
Coach Felecia Killings
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Testimonials of The Power of Forgiveness from Our Beloved Givers
The Power of Forgiveness is a transformative guide that beautifully intertwines biblical wisdom with practical steps for healing. Drawing from the story of Joseph and the teachings of Jesus, the eBook emphasizes the profound impact of forgiveness on our hearts, minds, and bodies.
The 7-day challenge, paired with actionable lessons, provides a clear path for readers to release bitterness, embrace peace, and step into their God-given purpose. I enjoyed the practical exercises that are simple and easy to understand. The section about criticism was a tough pill to swallow but helpful in forgiving others and myself.
This eBook is a must-read for anyone seeking spiritual and emotional wholeness. — Nicole Pinkston
The Power of Forgiveness E-book and Workbook by Coach Felecia Killings goes beyond what the title might suggest. Yes, there are exercises included and ‘assignments’ presented, as expected from a workbook or textbook, but the real effectiveness of Coach Felecia's most recent book comes from the lessons taught outside of any of the exercises presented at the end of the chapters.
The act of forgiveness is something we have been encouraged to do throughout our lives, but it's not something we've always been able to do.
Why is that?
Here is where Coach Felecia's workbook stands out. The consistent message throughout the workbook is that the power of forgiveness is within all of us, but it is our own minds that keep us from using that power. Even with faith in God, we still manage to be prisoners of our own minds — our own sense of guilt — and we punish ourselves for it.
But as Coach Felecia points out in this workbook, if we look closer at our relationship with God, and we realize God loves us and does not seek to hurt us, we can see that it is not God who is looking to punish us. We are putting this on ourselves.
Coach Felecia highlight’s Joseph Murphy’s words when describing steps to aid us in forgiveness: ‘God, or Life, never punishes. Man punishes himself by his false concepts of God, Life, and the Universe.’
With a deeper understanding of our relationship with God, and what we sometimes do to ourselves, we may know better what God wants us to do to help ourselves.
After reading through the sections of the workbook that explained how we can get in our own way and hold ourselves back, I was reminded of something I, and I suspect any of the rest of us, can identify with. And this was through the ‘acid test for forgiveness,’ taken from the book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, by Joseph Murphy.
If you can hear good news concerning someone who has done you wrong in the past, and not feel animosity or ill will toward that person, then you have forgiveness in your heart for that person. However, if your ‘blood boils’ at the mention of this good news about that person, you still have ‘the roots of hatred’ in your heart for that person.
This is something I can say I have experienced to some degree over the years. And reading this in Coach Felecia's workbook reminded me of those times. It made me take the lessons in this workbook to heart.
It reminded me: I, like we all are, am a work in progress.
Just reading through Coach Felecia's workbook once has heightened my sense of self reflection and self awareness. I'm going to work through the workbook exercises over the next few weeks. I hope to be a better person, a happier person for that.
I believe anyone who reads through this workbook will feel the same as well. — Greg Bulla