We Died Before We Came Here (2)
So many people couldn’t understand this. “But how can you forgive them?” “Why would you forgive them?” “How can you even return to this country that took your husband’s life?” Forgiveness seemed to be a very foreign concept to them. They were genuinely astonished and confused. Stephen’s death had a profound impact on these people—and our family’s display of forgiveness is still talked about to this day. We were surprised to discover that there was a rumor circulating that Stephen had recited the Muslim testimony of faith to become a Muslim just before he was shot. My first reaction was disdain, but then I realized that this was how many of Stephen’s dearest Muslim friends were coping with his death. They wanted to think that Stephen had accepted what they believed to be the truth before he died. They could not bear the thought of Stephen going to hell. I was deeply touched. And on many occasions I took the opportunity to set the story straight and explain that to follow Jesus Christ—the only way to God—meant that Stephen never had a doubt that to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Preparing to leave after our two-week visit was surreal. It didn’t feel right that we were only visiting—it still felt
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