On November 20, 1984, Bert Baker’s sister Vera was murdered by her estranged husband James Legget. Already concerned for her safety, Vera had reached out to her brother and Bert had come to her home with the intention of protecting her from James. But, James didn’t show up until two days later, when Bert was not there. Though James was captured, tried, and convicted of the crime and sentenced to 40 years in prison, Bert and his family struggled with their grief and anger over their loss. The son of a Methodist pastor, Bert’s found himself consumed with a feeling of responsibility and worse, the desire for revenge. He resolved to kill his brother-in-law on the day of his release from prison and burned the date into his memory.
Fifteen years into his sentence, James received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He wrote a letter to Bert’s family expressing deep remorse for his act of rage and for the loss of Vera. He asked their forgiveness. Bert’s parents understood the importance of forgiving James as a requirement of God and made the decision to do so. They handed the letter to Bert, concerned about whether he would be able to make the same choice. Though he had been resisting and wrestling with God and with his anger, this letter seemed to drive the point home in a way that Bert could no longer deny. He gave an exasperated sigh and said the words out loud, “Okay God, you win. I’ll forgive him, but I don’t have to eat dinner with him.”
Bert Baker
God honored Bert’s act of obedience and helped heal his heart and teach him how to genuinely experience the fullness of forgiveness. By the time James’ release date arrived (after serving 20 years and eligible for parole), Bert was ready to meet him without the rage that had nearly overtaken him before. As the two men made eye contact, James hung his head and tearfully apologized and Bert knew he had genuinely forgiven this man with the grace and help of the Holy Spirit.
Today, Bert and James are active in Kairos ministry, together bringing their story of salvation and forgiveness to prisons across the southeast United States. They eat dinner together frequently! And, they recently had the opportunity to reach an even greater audience when “The 700 Club” covered it for their program. You can watch that video segment here.
http://www.perissosonline.org/video/Forgiveness.flvDiscuss this article and your own experiences with forgiveness on our forum at Theologyweb.com (registration required).
Read Bert Baker’s bio here.
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