As the executive director of A Campaign for Forgiveness Research at Virginia Commonwealth University, Everett Worthington devoted his life to studying and promoting the benefits of forgiveness. In 1995, when his mother was brutally murdered, his philosophy of forgiveness was put to the test. While pacing the room during a sleepless night, he debated with himself the pros and cons of forgiving. On one hand, he was so angry and hurt that he did not want to extend the gift of forgiveness to the young man who senselessly and viciously changed the face of his family forever. Conversely, his research determined that carrying resentment around was like hauling around a “red-hot coal with the intention of one day throwing it back at the one who hurt you” (Worthington, 2001, p. 8). The burden of blame and anger creates pain, heartache, and possible health problems for the person who carries it around (Worthington).