Remember the fable of the boy who cried wolf? The consequences of his bad choices were personal ones... no one believed him when a wolf really came along and he got eaten. In the modern retelling of that tale, I suppose the community would file a civil claim against his estate because he falsely reported a wolf in the vicinity.
The world's attention was focused on the small town of Duluth, Georgia last week in the strange case of the so-called "Runaway Bride." This became a national story because in media terms it was "sexy." Jennifer Wilbanks was white, pretty, and due to be married in a few days. Watching the drama unfold, we all feared it was yet another Laci Peterson or Lori Hacking case. One official stated on camera he was praying that she had simply run away because she was stressed about the wedding.
But then when it came out that she had indeed just run away, it wasn't long before the joy and relief turned to anger. Now, people are clamoring for her to have to pay the 40K it cost the taxpayers to look for her. The Gwinnett County DA and Mayor of Duluth are talking about criminal charges being filed.
Come on, folks. Jennifer Wilbanks obviously has issues. She didn't do this for attention. One look at her arriving back in Atlanta hiding under a towel and you realize she is mortified that her bad choices have put the red hot glare of the nation on her and her fiance. That is not a pleasant place to be.
Her husband-to-be is steadfast in saying he still loves her, still wants to marry her and he wants to get her whatever help she needs. This guy, who obviously practices what teaches 7th grade boys in Sunday School, modeled unconditional love, grace, mercy and forgiveness to the whole nation. We could all learn a lesson from John Mason.
Just as with the boy who cried wolf, Jennifer is dealing with the personal consequences of her bad choices, and will continue to deal with it for years to come. For the rest of her life she will be known for and defined by the "Runaway Bride" incident. That's a lot to live with. We don't need to heap our scorn on top of that. She needs mercy, forgiveness and understanding from all of us.
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