Dr. Uma Ukpai often recounts the story of a man whose wife cheated on him and became pregnant in the process. She was so guilt-laden that she decided to voluntarily leave her matrimonial house in the hope of salvaging her conscience. The husband was initially heart broken by her adultery. But he was even more traumatised by her decision to leave him on grounds of self-chastisement.
The woman’s husband called her to a meeting with a man of God. He began by stating that he had forgiven his wife and that as long as he lived, he would never refer to her sin of adultery. He further offered to adopt the unborn child and to treat him or her as his own.
Notwithstanding all this show of grace, the woman could not come to terms with her husband’s offer. She told him and the minister that she must leave because staying would mean being constantly reminded of her sin. The husband tried to dissuade her to no avail. When she would not be persuaded to stay, he went another mile to offer grace. He told her to move into one of his buildings. He promised to take care of her and the baby after birth for as long as he lived. As if this was not enough, he further told her that he would never remarry, insisting that she was welcome back into the house any day she changed her mind. The Bible says, “Repay no evil for evil… If it is possible as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men… Do not overcome evil by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17-18, 21).
