Sunday morning, as many of us were headed to church with our friends and families to celebrate Easter, in Pakistan, hundreds of people were wondering whether their family members were even going to make it through the holiday. After a bomb was detonated in a large park in Lahore, Pakistan, at least 69 people were killed along with 300 wounded.

Since then, the Jamaat-e-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the bombing with an intention to target Christians on Easter. Of course, a radical array of emotions come to mind when we hear about our people, people of God, being targeted and killed, but one emotion more than any other should take precedence.

Forgiveness.

On Easter, more than any other day, this attack and those who conspired to make it happen should be forgiven on the same day we celebrate the liberation of us from our sin. Isn’t that almost a beautiful revelation?

When Jesus exclaimed from the cross “it is finished,” the message applied to everyone — past, present and future. It’s a challenge to allow our own sinful anger, bitterness and resentment to take a back seat to God’s grace, but that’s the challenge we’ve been faced with.

Our sins are forgiven. For those attackers, they have that same forgiveness in Christ. For me, that’s a radical idea. How can someone who just intentionally killed all these Christians receive the same grace and forgiveness that I have? Because it’s all the same under the love of God. No sin too big, no chasm too wide that’s Jesus’ blood and resurrection can’t cover.

We have been given this wonderful chance to choose and love and forgiveness before we choose malice and resentment with Sunday’s tragedy. Jesus has risen from the grave and he didn’t do so that we may choose who we forgive and who we don’t.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7

We must always remember that as we celebrate new life that is given to us through Jesus, that same life is granted to all who seek him. So, today, as you pray and thank God for sending his son and for finishing His plan, pray for those all over the world who commit injustice that they can find favor in God’s eyes –– the same favor we have found.