She did this on a personal level, as only she could do as a widow, but her public act of forgiveness might very well impact us all. It hit me what an extreme and formidable act forgiveness can be. Mrs. Kirk put the Gospel in action, and there’s no telling what might now happen. Some people were concerned that Mrs. Kirk’s forgiveness of her husband’s killer might mean that the assassin shouldn’t face justice by the State. The Christian state, however, is required to mete out justice so that the social order can be preserved in order that the proclamation of the Gospel might flourish.