The culture is soaked in blood.

Revenge is the status quo, rather than the exception.

And in the center - two wives declare forgiveness to those who have taken their husbands' lives.

Two widows hold to grace, and hold their now fatherless children.

Three men, Necati Ayden, Tilman Geske, and Ugur Yuksel were tortured and murdered in Malataya, Turkey. A group of young men had approached these three, seeking answers about Christianity. A pair of them even attended an Easter service a few weeks prior. They met under the pretense of learning more about the Bible. After Necati read a passage of Scripture, they bound the three men hand and foot, beginning a three hour ritual of torture.

Imagine every horror that could be done to a person by another with a knife... and a heart twisted by hate.

Every portion of the human form than can be opened or removed.

The act was planned well in advance. Guns, knives, ropes, and towels... they knew there would be a lot of blood. Stab wounds... one hundred fifty-six for one man... ninety-nine for the second... too many for even the coroner to count for the third.

This brutality elicits a response of the soul. An answer to these actions must come. We read about such things and a rush of conviction and question floods us. We must do something. We must resolve our heart's resonance to it.

Simply throwing money at this need is inadequate and cowardly. I couldn't rest with simply doing my meager part. I cannot worship the God who gave those three men strength to endure to the end when it costs me nothing. I cannot tell their widows my heart is with them by means of only my pocket.

I want them to see that we are with them.

I want them to know that although we will likely never meet, that we love them.

They are family, and they are not alone.

In a blood for blood culture, two women who have lost so much insist upon forgiveness. We can offer no less. So this message is for all who are a part of this story. For two women embracing the light in the center of darkness. We love you. For five children, fatherless... but never Fatherless. We love you. For seven young Muslims. We love you.

Seni Seviyoruz.