But Christian, speaking at a Black History Celebration at the Courtyard by Marriott on Monday, said he learned early on that he would never truly recover until he learned to forgive the teen.
“I came back tonight because I was bound and determined that I would not let a rock make me someone I’m not,” Christian said.
Throughout the speech, Christian frequently noted the influence his parents had in developing his perspective. A native of upstate New York, he recalled how his parents often went out of their way to provide food for a needy family or to offer a meal and tea to a local man who had no home.
Although their lives were difficult, Christian said he learned the importance of charity and forgiveness and tried to pass it on to his own children.
“They wanted my life to be different from the lives they experienced,” Christian said. “They wanted my life to be better.”
The Columbus minister said he knew he had made the right decision when Christian’s own grandchildren asked to pray for McNary. “No doubt, whatever we’ve gone through, they’ve gone through the same things,” he said of McNary’s family.
Christian’s message to the crowd was simple: “People are people, and we all need to love one another,” he said.
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