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disturbing details;

8/14/2026

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WARNING: This story contains disturbing details; discretion is advised. 

Man acquitted in murder of Winnipeg teen given 10 years for violent Vancouver sex assault 

​
By Kristen Robinson  Global News
 
A Vancouver man who was convicted and then acquitted in the high profile killing of a 13-year-old girl in Winnipeg - has been sentenced to ten years in prison. Mark Grant has a long history of preying on women and the details of this case are disturbing. Kristen Robinson reports.

A man convicted and then acquitted in the murder of a Winnipeg teen nearly 42 years ago has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting and forcibly confining a woman in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside earlier this year.

Mark Edward Grant, who turns 63 on Friday, was originally charged with unlawful confinement, sexual assault with a weapon, assault with a weapon, and uttering threats but pleaded guilty last week to unlawful confinement and the lesser charge of sexual assault.

During a sentencing hearing in BC Supreme Court Monday, Crown prosecutor Victoria Young read an Agreed Statement of Facts detailing the horrific offences that unfolded over five hours on Jan. 8, 2026.

Court heard that Grant and the 61-year-old victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, were neighbours in the same single-room occupancy (SRO) building.

Grant lived in the unit directly above the woman and the two had met approximately one month prior, when he moved into the apartment complex.

According to the Agreed Statement of Facts, Grant and the victim voluntarily consumed drugs together on the evening of Jan. 7 in her apartment, and later in his unit.

After finishing the drugs, the court heard that the woman asked Grant if he had any more drugs, and he told her to ask her son, who lived in a nearby building, for money to purchase more drugs.

The victim agreed but instead left and returned to her apartment, where she got ready to go to bed.
 
A short time later, the accused knocked on her door and said he had obtained more drugs, and invited her to his apartment to consume them.

Around 12:15 a.m., the woman came back up to Grant’s apartment wearing a pajama top, grey shirt, pink bra, brown shorts and boxer underwear.

Court heard Grant directed her to the bathroom, indicating the drugs were in there.

As the victim crossed the bathroom threshold, the accused pushed her from behind and covered her mouth and nose with a glue trap or sticky paper used for pest control.

Grant then pulled out a knife and held it to the victim’s throat, saying words to the effect of “Cooperate and you’ll be fine. Just do what I say, shut up, don’t talk,” according to the Agreed Statement of Facts.

The accused then pulled the woman by her hair out of the bathroom and threw her on the ground in front of his bed, where he tied her hands behind her back and bound her wrists together.

Court heard Grant pulled the victim up by her hair onto his bed, and continued to brandish the knife while holding the glue trap up to her face.

He sliced open her shirt and bra, pulled off her shorts and underwear and then removed his clothing.

Court heard the accused ripped off the glue trap and forced the victim to have oral sex, becoming frustrated and angry with her when he was unable to get an erection.

Grant said words to the effect of “You better get me off, or you’re going to stay here until you do,” according to the Agreed Statement of Facts.

He attempted penile penetration of the victim’s vagina but was unable to do so due to the lack of an erection.

The accused attempted anal sex but did not proceed after the complainant lied about having a sexually transmitted infection to dissuade him, court heard.

Instead, Grant digitally penetrated the victim’s vagina and at some point, tried unsuccessfully to insert a large unidentified object into her vagina.

Young said at no point did the complainant consent to sexual activity with Grant, and she repeatedly told him to “please stop, don’t do this”.

The accused also put a belt around the complainant’s neck “pulling it with such force so as to restrain her”, Young told the court.

Exhausted and fearing for her life, the victim resorted to negotiation tactics to appease and gain the accused’ trust – telling him she liked him, and offering to be his girlfriend.

Over time, the woman was able to get Grant to untie both of her wrists and around 5:15 a.m., she managed to escape his apartment.

The accused finally allowed her to leave after she offered to go to her son to get money for more drugs, promising to return before 6:00 a.m.

The woman told police “the only thing that saved her was her belief that the accused needed drugs more than sex,” court heard.

According to the Agreed Statement of Facts, the victim arrived at her son’s apartment around 5:30 a.m., visibly distraught, “hysterical and crying”.

The complainant told her son, “I was raped all night.”

In an interview Weds., Vancouver police said they are satisfied the sentence has ensured some justice.

“A 10-year sentence doesn’t make up for the horror of what the victim experienced but it is a good sentence and there is a conviction, and that is sort of indicative of the strength of the investigation,” Sgt. Adam Donaldson said.

In 2007, Grant was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 13-year-old Candace Derksen of Winnipeg, who vanished on her way home from school in November 1984.

Derksen’s frozen body was found bound in a shed two months later.

Twenty-three years later, DNA testing cracked the cold case, and led to Grant’s arrest.

A jury found Grant guilty of second-degree murder in 2011, but the conviction was overturned on appeal because the trial judge erred by excluding evidence pointing to another possible killer.

In 2017, Grant was acquitted of murder at his second judge-alone trial.

Grant has been in custody since January, following his sexual assault arrest in Vancouver.
Police said District 5 patrol officers handled the case from start to finish.

Court heard a search of Grant’s apartment located glue traps, belts, shoestrings, knives and the victim’s pink bra and grey jacket – both with damage consistent with knife cuts.

The victim’s DNA was found on the accused’s penile swab and on one of his belts, according to the Agreed Statement of Facts.

“This is a terrible incident,” Donaldson told Global News. “This was something that happened behind closed doors. It happened over several hours, a really prolonged sexual assault – something that nobody should ever be subject to.”

While the victim was not present at the sentencing hearing, Young read information on her behalf that she said would be consistent with a victim impact statement.

“I thought I was going to die; I was so scared. This didn’t just change my life, it ended it.”

Through prosecutors, the victim expressed how she has become an entirely different person and doesn’t trust anyone anymore.

“I don’t let anyone in. I feel like I see his (Grant’s) face everywhere I go. Anyone I see on the street who looks like him, it triggers me. I feel like what happened was my fault; I shouldn’t have been so trusting. Even though it impacted me, I won’t let it break me. I went to rehab after this happened; I am now committed to sobriety.”

With credit for time spent in custody since his arrest, Grant has just over nine years left to serve.
Justice Alan M. Ross also imposed a lifetime firearms and weapons prohibition and ordered Grant to comply with the Sex Offender Information Registration Act.
​
By Kristen Robinson  Global News
Posted August 13, 2026 1:54 pm
 6 min read
Global BC: Global News Hour at 6 BC: Aug. 13



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Headlines

8/12/2026

4 Comments

 
​To see our daughter’s name in yesterday’s headline--“Mark Grant, acquitted in killing of Candace Derksen, 1984 killing of Winnipeg teen, sentenced 10 years for sexual assault in Vancouver”—was a shock.

And yet, in another way, it served as a powerful reminder that Cliff and I chose the right word forty years ago. On the night Candace’s body was found, we were warned about this... this bond that can develop between a victim and an offender—a bond forged through trauma, anger, fear, and the relentless need to understand what happened. I remember how deliberately we chose to "forgive." This choice had very little to do with the murderer. It was an immediate response to what we knew we could not and would not be trapped in  - a victim-offender trauma bond.

My immediate response to yesterday’s news was to talk to my friends  Everyone I know seemed to respond with the same deep sigh of relief: -  at least, for the next while he will not be free to sexually abuse another person. But there was also a sadness that he didn't change - he did not learn. Here, he was given a second chance and he just threw it away. 

For me, the news was timely.  I am currently completing Candace’s biography, a project that is taking much longer than I ever expected. I've done so many drafts I've lost count. Apparently, It is hard enough to make sense of one’s own life, it is much harder with the life of someone who lived only thirteen years—and yet made such an impact that her name still appears in the headlines forty years later.

My working title for this  last draft is  ... A Compelling Love:.... the Story of Candace.  This title finally feels right  -  Candace was all about love. Another question  - is this the ending her story was waiting for?

​On a personal note, I am also discovering that the limitations caused by my health, have become a writer’s dream. 

I have just begun an allegory about forgiveness, inspired by The Pilgrim’s Progress. That's just fun thinking about,,,.

Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.   - A​braham Lincoln
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On days like this - when I remember how we chose "forgiveness" together -  I miss Cliff terribly. 
4 Comments

Moving to Winkler - best decision yet.....

6/23/2026

3 Comments

 

Charlie, Georgia, Odia and Larry

​Growing Older, Growing Richer
It is awful getting older. And I've been so sick and getting sicker... Ugh. 
It's been tough but I  have made some beautiful decisions that have stood me in good stead. 

One of them was - when things began to fall apart, I moved out of my Adamar apartment in Winnipeg and into the basement of Odia and Larry's home in Winkler. I know now that it was one of the best decisions I could have made.

It was supposed to be just a bedroom. Somehow, however, I have gradually taken over the entire basement—don't tell them. I have a lovely bathroom, a comfortable living room, a television,  easy access to the rec room, office, library, and even a workout room with a treadmill.

But better than the space itself is what it provides: the opportunity to be with my lovely daughter Odia and get to know her in a new and special way.

Odia is my middle daughter—the one parents sometimes overlook simply because the oldest child often assumes a kind of positional leadership in the family. I suppose I thought I knew her well, and in many ways I did. She always seemed —a survivor, resourceful and capable. I trusted that strength and just let her be.
​
Meanwhile, our oldest daughter, Candace, was more like Cliff: an entertainer, spontaneous, sometimes a bit flighty. She seemed to need more attention. But then Candace was murdered  at 13 years of age, and our family changed completely.  That's when, Odia, 9 years old at the time, naturally filled the gap Candace had let behind.  But frankly  I was too absorbed by our family trauma to notice  much. 

Now I realize how neglectful  I was. I didn't pay much attention to to  Odia. I assumed she was a survivor and I was right - she survived all of our chaos - but  she did so much more. She grew through it all.... Now sometimes I wonder where she came from - she is truly amazing. 

For one thing, she is a gifted artist, much like her father. She has a remarkable social intelligence and even a touch of the entertainer in her. Her laugh can command a room. People are drawn to it. I, on the other hand, have always been more of a wallflower.

Very early on, she showed my mother's gift with food. We used to call Odia our Martha Stewart, and she has never lost that touch. While I spent much of my life trying to escape the kitchen—and developing highly efficient ways of avoiding it—Odia embraced it. Her cookies are to die for. In fact, all her baking is extraordinary, both in taste and presentation. She can still wow the many tea parties and social gathering she organizes at the church.

Somewhere along the way she also developed the same organizational genius that I always admired in my oldest sister. In her home, everything has a place, and everything somehow finds its way back there. This gift for organization and problem-solving now expresses itself in her remarkable understanding of technology. She understood artificial intelligence  - and was using it long before most of us knew what it was..

Even more impressive, she organizes people with the same ease. Satisfaction seems to follow her wherever she goes. It is no surprise she has become Vice-President of People and Culture at Friesens in Altona.

Her home reflects who she is - as well. Everything is thoughtfully chosen. Everything speaks of care, beauty, and commitment. She has created an atmosphere that feels both welcoming and inspiring. She is remarkably organized, endlessly resourceful, and deeply wise.

I am fortunate beyond words that she pays such close attention to me. She takes me to medical appointments, keeps track of names, medications, questions, and instructions. She makes sure I receive the best care possible. Because of her, I have excellent medical support and access to whatever I need. A doctor's appointment and medical consultations that might once have felt overwhelming become a simple outing. 

On top of all that she has a beautiful husband, Larry.

I would never be here if Larry had not been the first person to invite me into their home after Cliff died.
Watching Larry often reminds me of my father. He loves vehicles. His garage reminds me of my father's old gas service station, filled with tools and projects and possibilities. He cares for every vehicle with extraordinary attention. His truck is practically an art piece, complete with bright red air nozzles and polished details. Even my vehicle is always clean, maintained, and ready to go.

When Larry cooks, he enters another realm altogether. He becomes a master chef, delighting in every flavor, every seasoning, every possibility. I used to think restaurant food was always superior because it was prepared by professionals. Not anymore. When Larry takes over the kitchen, it feels as if we are living inside a cooking show.
In the mornings, when Larry sees me, he always pauses and asks, "How are you doing?" his chaplain's heart comes forward. He has an extraordinary ability to see people, listen deeply, and connect. His bedside manner comes naturally because he genuinely cares for those who are vulnerable. In those moments, he becomes a chaplain. He listens. He notices. He offers presence more than answers. It is a quiet ministry, but a powerful one.

Larry is not only my son-in-law and the owner of the house. He is also the pastor of Winkler Cornerstone Vineyard Church, where I worship. His generous heart sets the tone for the entire congregation. His operatic singing voice fills the sanctuary, and his passion for healing prayer helps knit us together into a healing family.

Best of all, he never complains when I ask him to pick up medication, drive me to a hair appointment, or take me for coffee at the Outpost Grill or Mulligan's.

Then there is Georgia. Right now, we are all delighted to have a front-row seat as she becomes a young woman. I constantly remind myself that she is only eleven.

There is something miraculous about watching this transformation. One moment she is still playing with a squishy toy, and the next she is mixing ingredients for a cake without a recipe and producing something that leaves us speechless.
One moment she displays wisdom beyond her years, speaking with confidence and insight. The next she is giggling, expressing her fears, and running off to her room.

Her vocabulary astonishes me. Her observations often leave me speechless. It is breathtaking to hear such mature wisdom emerge from someone still so young. The other day she was able to describe the difference between fake optimism and informed hope. She is worth watching.

And then there is Charlie. Charlie, the family dog, is thirteen years old.
He follows me everywhere, deeply interested in my every movement. We share one important passion: chocolate. Unfortunately, Charlie has occasionally stolen mine, consumed it, and somehow survived.

His barking can be disruptive. Sometimes it is enough to drive a person crazy.

But then I think about the alternative. The alternative would be silence. Charlie refuses to allow that. He stirs things      up. He creates commotion. He keeps life moving. 

From my little suite downstairs, I hear the sounds of family life unfolding above me. Not the details of private conversations—those belong to others—but the music of ordinary living. I hear people coming and going. I watch the dog being cared for. I see the yard maintained. I observe the rhythms and responsibilities of everyday life.
As my own body becomes more fragile, I find myself surrounded by signs of life growing stronger.
Growing older may be difficult.
​
But growing older while surrounded by love is a profound blessing.

3 Comments

Let's Celebrate Today

6/23/2026

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It is "let it go"  Day

Let It Go Day is observed every year on June 23. In 2026, this date falls on a Tuesday. This informal personal-growth holiday gives people a reason to release grudges, regrets, worries, and clutter that have become too heavy to carry. It is not about pretending hard things never happened; it is about choosing what still deserves attention and what can be set down. People often mark the day by writing down what they want to release, clearing a small space at home, apologizing where appropriate, or taking a quiet moment to move forward.
 
Why is Let It Go Day important?
A date on the calendar can turn a vague intention into an action. Old grudges, unfinished arguments, and private regrets can take up a surprising amount of attention, even when nothing useful is being learned from them anymore. Let It Go Day gives people a low-pressure way to name what is weighing them down and decide what no longer needs daily mental space. That choice can be small, such as deleting an old message, or more serious, such as beginning a difficult conversation.
The day also makes room for a healthier understanding of release. Letting go does not require denying pain, excusing harm, or rushing past grief before it has been processed. For difficult experiences, moving forward may require time, boundaries, support from trusted people, or professional care. The useful part of the observance is its practical question: what can be carried wisely, and what is only making life heavier?
  • It gives people a clear prompt to stop replaying old hurts.
  • It supports forgiveness without forcing reconciliation.
  • It makes emotional cleanup feel concrete and manageable.
  • It pairs well with decluttering physical or digital spaces.
  • It can mark a quiet midyear reset.
How to Celebrate Let It Go Day
Write down one regret, grudge, fear, or worry that has been taking up too much space, then decide what action would help loosen its hold. That might mean throwing away the note, making a plan, apologizing, deleting an old thread, or finally removing an object that keeps pulling attention backward. Keep the action realistic rather than dramatic. A small act that can actually be done is more useful than a grand promise that disappears by tomorrow.
The day can also be shared with care. Friends, families, classrooms, or teams can use it to talk about mistakes, forgiveness, stress, and moving forward without turning the conversation into forced confession. A gentle approach works best, especially when the subject touches loss, conflict, or shame. For anyone dealing with deep pain, Let It Go Day can be a starting point for seeking support rather than a demand to be over it.
  • Clear one drawer, folder, or inbox.
  • Write a release note and tear it up.
  • Stop following an account that fuels resentment.
  • Replace one self-critical thought with a fairer one.
  • Ask for help with something you keep carrying alone.

I am enjoying today .......
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One of Cliff's  Paintings -- He was a  master at "letting it go."
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Voice - 2

6/14/2026

1 Comment

 

Blessed 

I’m a people pleaser, so when I learned that our knee-jerk response to reporters after Candace’s body was found—that we were going to forgive the person who had murdered our daughter—had sparked a national discussion, I was devastated.

Apparently, nearly 80 percent of Canadians seemed to think we were heartless, that we didn’t care, that we were somehow letting a murderer off the hook.

I was shaken to the core. I cried for days.

Of course, I was grieving for Candace. I was grieving for our family. But I was also grieving for everyone caught in the pain and confusion of that moment.

I sank very low.

Then I stumbled across a verse:
"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."

And as I read it, I felt the Voice whisper it directly into my heart.

I thought, Well, we have just been insulted by much of Canada because we chose the way of Christ. Perhaps that means we are now in line for a whole lot of blessings.

And we were.

Apparently, the 20 percent who understood us loved us deeply. They surrounded us with such kindness, compassion, and encouragement that we can still feel the warmth of it today.

That Voice is still with me.

It is the Voice that has continued to bless me through the years.

It brought robins to my window here in Winkler.

It brought deer to stand outside our living-room window in Grimsby when Cliff was dying.

It even brought a chickadee that landed gently on my hand.

The Voice is with me.

The Voice stays with me.
​
And I love the Voice.
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The Voice

6/13/2026

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Parker, Pluto - Digger 

​I can’t deny it. My body is getting worse and worse.

Some of you have been watching from a distance and wondering how I’m doing. Sometimes I don’t even know how to talk about it anymore…but I’ll try again.

To make it easier, I’ve started giving names to the challenges in my life.

The medication challenge, for example, I’ve named Pluto. It’s way out there—unfathomable, mysterious, and seemingly impossible to manage. Between my medications and my diet, I feel as though I’m constantly trying to solve a puzzle that defies my understanding. No matter how disciplined I am, I never quite get it right. It challenges everything I have always believed about effort, responsibility, and self-control. Most of the time, I live in denial because the alternative feels overwhelming.

My spasms are getting worse. They now show up in my face, and I find that very uncomfortable. It discourages me from being social. That creates problems for Saturn, the sanguine part of me—the part that loves people, conversation, laughter, and connection. Saturn feels isolated now, unsure whether she wants to connect or retreat.

When I’m discouraged, I lose myself in Digger - the  part of me that relishes my alone time and loves to dig around for words and thoughts – and writes and writes and writes.

Right now, I’ve been rewriting and developing the ‘life writing’ course” that I’ve been teaching for almost eight years. I never intended to teach this course, it kind of just happened . Now  I want to transform it into something truly glorious. I spend hours with it—wonderful hours. It is my creative playground, my workshop, my sanctuary.

Slowly I'm realizing, I am living the life I always imagined I would someday live.  I’m actually being forced by my physical limitations  into a  writer’s lifestyle.

People sometimes ask me, “Is there enough joy in your life right now?”
The answer is simple. I have this wonderful family who entertains me. And there’s this dog, faithfully following me around and enthusiastically jumping on everyone who walks through the door.

And then there is Cliff.  I miss Cliff. I call him my Moon at night and my Mars during the day.
The more I reflect on him, the more I realize how wonderful we had it. He was the entertainer, the photographer, the speaker, the guitarist, the magician, the actor, the preacher, the lifeguard on the beach, His memory sustains  me. When midnight comes, and when the moon is hanging quietly in the sky, I am deeply thankful.  that I had him close all those years.

And then there is the Voice – that wonderful soft Voice that speaks to  me . The Voice that has guided  me all these years. What is it telling me?  

  I think I will leave that for another day..

Photo by -- Mars 


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Forgiveness - 3

6/9/2026

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Justice 

When we are hurt our instinctive and natural reaction is to seek justice. We crave satisfaction; we want the scales of justice balanced. Yet when true justice eludes us, our yearning for it can insidiously morph into a quest for revenge.

While revenge promises relief, it rarely fulfills that promise. Instead, it often entraps us, keeping us shackled to our pain.

Fortunately, forgiveness provides a different path.

In an effort to understand the transformative power of forgiveness, nearly thirty neuroscientists, along with Kimmel, conducted extensive research projects to create a scientific snapshot of brain activity when it chooses the forgiveness path.

Their findings revealed two distinct dimensions of forgiveness: cognitive and emotional.

Decisional forgiveness is the conscious choice to cease pursuing personal retaliation; it's an act of the will, a deliberate decision to break free from the cycle of animosity.

In contrast, emotional forgiveness involves a more profound, deliberate process of "letting go," in which we release the emotional hold that the injury has on us.

Kimmel posits that forgiveness is a pathway that liberates us from the relentless cycle of hurt and retaliation. It serves as a refusal to allow revenge to masquerade as a substitute for justice. His research underscores that forgiveness is a superior response to grievances, yielding significant mental, emotional, and physical health benefits.

Furthermore, Kimmel's work indicates that forgiveness transcends notions of morality, religion, and the belief in giving something to the person who caused us pain. Rather, it is about recognizing that forgiveness may be the only genuine remedy we possess against deep emotional suffering.

The book culminates in the introduction of a novel concept—a non-justice system.  He believes that If the current justice system systematically perpetuates suffering in our world, what we truly need is a framework that prioritizes healing and promotes happiness—what Kimmel terms a "nonjustice system."

In essence, Kimmel’s vision mirrors the paradoxical teachings found in the upside-down Kingdom described in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus delivered His radical and deeply personal vision of living an alternative forgiving lifestyle.

Beautiful  - we have come full circle.

If I were to embark on my “Forgiveness Journey” all over again, I would now insist on five pivotal books:
1.   The Bible – Authored by the Creator, it remains the ultimate guide, covering the spiritual and religious dimensions of forgiveness.
2.   The Big Book by Bill Wilson – This work addresses the secular and practical aspects of forgiveness.
3.   The Science of Revenge by James Kimmel – A thorough exploration of the science behind forgiveness, unraveling the complex interplay of emotions.
4.   Impossible: Forgiveness to the Power of Five by Wilma Derksen – This book emphasizes the importance of storytelling and the courage to remain vulnerable in the healing process.
(This is my latest book . I very humbly think it offers a unique insight into forgiveness as well.) 
​
Together, these texts form a comprehensive toolkit, equipping us to navigate the intricate landscape of forgiveness, justice, and revenge.
Photo by: Cliff Derksen
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Forgiveness - 3

6/9/2026

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Darwin & Forgiveness

I remember growing up with such a beautiful theology, God was good, life was meaningful, and the world seemed infused with His presence.

Then I reached high school. In one of our private school morning devotions. we had a visiting speaker present the Big Bang Theory and Darwin's theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.  I could see how this really did a number on our wonderful, solid, Mennonite Christian teachers as they all adjusted their theology to include this new theory.  But when  I looked at  the scientific explanations, I didn’t see natural selection – I saw the notes of a creative God improving  on His creations – until he formed man from dust “and it was good.”  And then He improved on even that and created Eve - and it was perfect. ":)

Yet my childhood faith was challenged, and from that point on it often felt as though science and faith were engaged in a constant battle—and science seemed to be winning. Not in my life - but in the world. I felt slightly diminished, I felt science was laughing at  my naive faith in a loving God. 

Years later, during the decade-long journey through the trial of Candace’s murder – we learned all about the DNA science.  Again and again, I encountered evidence that pointed toward God. I saw traces of His creative genius that put him way ahead of science  - not behind.

That is why I was so fascinated to discover this new scientific research connecting forgiveness and revenge. I had always thought of forgiveness primarily in spiritual terms, perhaps psychological terms, and more recently even through the lens of addiction. But to see forgiveness studied scientifically as the antidote to the destructive cycle of revenge felt profound.

It was as though two worlds that had long seemed divided were finally meeting. Not because faith had defeated science, or science had defeated faith, but because they were speaking the same truths but using a different language.
 
This is rich…..


Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough.  Garrison Keillor


Photo by: Cliff Derksen

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The Science of Revenge - 2

6/6/2026

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Chocolate Cake

The book The Science of Revenge arrived in record time. True to its title, it is not so much a self-help book as a carefully researched investigation into one of humanity's most destructive impulses.

Author, lawyer, researcher, and Yale University lecturer James Kimmel Jr. goes to great lengths to document the atrocities committed in the name of revenge. He estimates that throughout history, approximately 336 million people have been killed as a result of revenge-seeking behavior.

"As you can see," he concludes, "we have overwhelming historical evidence of pathological revenge-seeking by human beings worldwide, from ancient to modern times. Revenge addiction is an ongoing pandemic that has lasted thousands of years and has been the source of incalculable tragedy and suffering. Entire civilizations have been destroyed, and hundreds of millions of people have been killed by it. -- You might be thinking that this has got to be wrong. If revenge addiction is so widespread and so terrible, why hasn't anyone ever heard of it before or done anything about it? It just seems so implausible."

Then  Kimmel makes the connection between revenge and justice.
 Dictionaries tell us that justice means equity and fairness with  synonyms like equalitarianism, honor, uprightness decency integrity, righteousness, morality, virtue propriety trustworthiness.  and incorruptibility. That’s the virtuous. Dr Jykell side of justice. But justice has a much darker side, a Mr. Hyde. This meaning of justice is a polite, politically correct term we use when we really mean revenge; as in the refrain after September 11 2001 terrorists attach on America. “Justice will be done,” they said. We all know what form of justice this means – and it’s not equity decency, virtue or morality.  On May 1 when Bin laden was brought to justice, this did not mean that bin Laden was treated virtually decently or honorable.  He was shot multiple time in the head.  Unarmed. Without a trial, American had finally gotten justice.”

Kimmel concludes “Justice is to revenge as OxyContin is to heroin, consumer branding of a highly dangerous and addictive substance."

His words stop me as I reassess our experience. Revenge was never part of our story. Cliff and I chose forgiveness almost immediately after Candace's murder.

But then I remember how a friend asked me a few weeks later what justice would look like for Candace’s murderer. I remember saying that it wouldn't be enough for that man to die. He would be dying for something he had done. Candace was innocent.

I went deep inside myself groping for justice and said -  ten child murderers would have to die. And when even that didn't satisfy me, I said I would have to pull the trigger myself. In  my mind’s eyes I puled it ten times and the feeling was delicious, I admitted. “… like eating chocolate cake.

What did surprise me is that: every time I told that story afterward, I could taste the chocolate cake again. Simply telling the story rewarded me. It came with a small rush, a momentary pleasure, a dopamine fix.

Now I knew that Kimmel was right – the science of revenge applied to me.

But how does this fit into a biblical understanding of evil?

I remember a conversation  I had  with my daughter after I had written Forgiveness: The Power of Five. In that book I explored five powers of healing and wondered whether there might also be five corresponding evils.

So I went back to the beginning - back to the Garden and there I found it. The story of Cain and Abel – is about sibling rivalry that ended in murder.

The fifth evil is revenge -  men keep going to war – women kill their unborn – now in social media we are killing each other with words. The world is saturated with revenge.

James Kimmel claims that the solution lies in forgiveness... the science of forgiveness.

​What is that? 

There are four questions of value in life, Don Octavio. What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love. Lord Byron
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rPhoto by Cliff Derksen
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Science of Revenge

6/5/2026

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A God Moment

 I  wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but I felt a gentle nudge: “Listen.” It was one of those God nudges., so I sat up and turned my attention to my computer. Often when I can’t sleep, I will listen to YouTube channels  and  fall asleep  -  I never  know what podcast i will wake to....

On the screen, Oprah is interviewing James Kimmel Jr., a revenge and violence researcher, lawyer, and lecturer in the psychiatry department at Yale University School of Medicine. He is discussing his bestselling book, The Science of Revenge.

He is telling a personal story.

As a teenager, he had been bullied by a group of local farm boys. One night they drove past his home and shot his dog. He was devastated. Later, when the same boys returned and smashed the family mailbox, his anger exploded. He grabbed a loaded revolver from his father’s nightstand, jumped into his mother’s car, and chased the truck to a farmyard, cornered them, and pulled out the gun.

He was moments away from shooting them when, “I somehow glimpsed into my own future,” he recalled, “and saw that if I killed them, I’d be killing part of myself too.”

So he lowered the gun and left the yard. The boys had never bothered him again.

“But I wasn’t the same, I had acquired a taste for revenge which had not been satisfied, Now I just needed to figure out how to get my revenge without overpaying. ....“When I realized lawyers are the only people in our society licensed to prescribe, manufacture, and sell revenge, I studied to be a lawyer."
 
Everything he did was legal. It was taught, practiced, and encouraged by lawyers everywhere. But when he reflected on the gratification he received from winning, the damage it was doing to his relationships and mental health, and the grip it held over him, he came to a disturbing conclusion. Being a bully came with a cost.

“Slowly I realized that even though everything I did was legal. It became darker and more vengeful with time and it spilt into my personal and family life. I was exhausted and bruised from inflicting and receiving all that pain. I felt increasing guilt about making my opponents suffer. I felt I had become nothing more than a junkie shooting up in a courtroom and looking for the next hit.”

Then together with Oprah, Kimmel wove decades of Yale research together with intimate and often heartbreaking personal stories to show how revenge begins and what keeps it alive, The conversation began with a simple premise: insecurity, fear, anger, humiliation, and the sense of being wronged and how it all become fuel for revenge.

Members of the audience offered words such as fear, anger, hatred, and vengefulness. Kimmel agreed but then pushed deeper. Every grievance acts as a trigger, he explained, but the real question is what happens inside the brain once that trigger is pulled.

Kimmel summarized the anatomy of revenge this way:
  • A grievance activates the brain’s pain network, particularly the anterior insula.
  • To balance that pain, the brain engages its reward circuitry, including the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum.
  • Revenge creates a temporary sense of relief and satisfaction, much like an addictive substance.
  • The prefrontal cortex, which normally restrains harmful impulses, can become overwhelmed, allowing revenge-seeking behavior to become compulsive.
  • Most people experience desires for revenge, but only some become trapped in addictive patterns of acting on those desires.
Revenge and Mental Illness
One of Kimmel’s more provocative claims is that serious mental illness, as defined by the DSM, is not the primary driver of most violence.
Instead, the missing link is often grievance combined with a compulsive desire for revenge.
The grievance becomes the trigger. Revenge becomes the perceived solution. Violence becomes the outcome. When it becomes compulsive and destructive, it begins to resemble an addiction. That distinction matters because addictions can be treated.

As I listened, I sank back into my pillows.

“Why do I have to listen to this, God?” I wondered aloud...

Then Kimmel begins to talk about  his solution -- the Science of Forgiveness.
The Science of Forgiveness! 

This is definitely a God moment. 
I order the book. 

"Understanding the world's deadliest addiction - and how to overcome it." Kimmel
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