His brother’s killer
When Anthony Colon’s brother, Wilfredo, was murdered, young Anthony’s life was filled with hate. “I hated everybody. I hated everything. It made me to be a person, like a monster,” Colon told CNN’s Rose Arce. Over time, however, the anger began to fade. Colon married and had two children. He “welcomed religion into his life” and began to feel a deep desire to be reconciled with his brother’s killer.
Then one day, Arce reports, Colon was visiting a friend at the Eastern Correctional Facility in Ulster County, New York. He looked across the room and saw Michael Rowe, one of the men who had murdered his brother. Colon walked straight up to Rowe and said: “Brother, I’ve been praying for you. I forgave you. I’ve been praying I would see you again.”
In prison, Rowe was befriended by Julio Medina of Exodus Transitional Community, which helps inmates prepare to re-enter the free world, Arce reports. Rowe began pursuing an education behind bars, and Colon began visiting him regularly. The day Rowe graduated, Colon came to the ceremony. He also spoke on Rowe’s behalf at his parole hearing. When Rowe was paroled in mid-April after 20 years in prison, he started working side by side with Colon at Exodus.
The CNN Belief Blog article isn’t particularly well written, but the video is a very moving testimony to the power of Christ to lift us above our brokenness and use us to create justice in the most unlikely places.
Learn more about Exodus Transitional Community by clicking here.
Multiply Justice 
Forgiving is one thing but I am not sure how mr colon can be friends with his brothers murderer and quote brothers. Convicted murderer Michael Rowe also committed another murder prior to the murder of colon in oct 1991. I am friends with the brother of the first victim and feel his pain because he lost his brother for life while the person who took that life gets to live his and receive a masters degree and get married all on taxpayers money. We both feel this is an injustice for Michael Rowe to only do 20 years for 2 murders in cold blood, broad daylight without any remorse.
I’ve never suffered a loss like that, but part of the story’s power for me is that I do know how strongly we resist the idea of redemption for our enemy. Being the one who brings that redemption to my brother’s killer probably would require something quite miraculous to happen in my heart. I’m certain it isn’t in my nature.
‘when you first embark on a journey of revenge……dig two graves’
Confucius