By Natalie BennettTuesday 1 Feb 2022Hope BreakfastChristian LivingReading Time: 4 minutes
A call to action, sharing the message of forgiveness through churches across Australia, i4give Day (Feb 1) marks the beginning of i4give Week – a week of forgiveness activities that wraps up with i4give Sunday.
As an initiative of the i4give Foundation, i4give Week 2022 seeks to engage all faith communities across Australia in a shared embrace of the universal good of forgiveness.
i4give Week 2022 seeks to engage all faith communities across Australia in a shared embrace of the universal good of forgiveness.
It presents the opportunity to engage in loving and respectful conversations around forgiveness and its power to heal and restore broken relationships, starting within and among faith communities and going out from there to everyone of good will. Letting go of anger, hatred and feelings of revenge builds bridges and leads to healing.
The Abdallahs on Hope Breakfast
This week marked the two-year anniversary of the deaths of Antony, Angelina and Sienna Abdallah, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, who were killed by a drunk driver who mounted the curb as they walked to get ice cream in Oatlands, NSW. Danny and Leila Abdallah, parents of three of the children, made headlines soon afterwards for publicly forgiving the driver. Their mission now is to spread the message of forgiveness far and wide – with the i4Give campaign, encouraging churches and communities to come together, for i4Give Sunday, to pray for forgiveness throughout their own communities.
Listen: Daniel and Leila Abdallah joined Hope Breakfast with Ally & Brendan to share how God has helped them through their grief
Parents Daniel and Leila Abdallah have created i4give Day as a remembrance of the four angels who were tragically lost on February 1, 2020, and to also help others who have suffered in a similar way. I4give Day is also being acknowledged as a national day of forgiveness, encouraging all of us to consider if there is someone in our lives we can forgive or ask for forgiveness.
Letting go of anger, hatred and feelings of revenge builds bridges and leads to healing.
“Our four children are now our four saints and this day is for them. Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. The more you practice the better you become at it and it allows you to live peacefully and to heal. Forgiveness is more for the forgiver than the forgiven,” Danny and Leila Abdallah said in a statement.
You are encouraged to search your heart and find someone you can forgive on this day. Set them free and feel the freedom of forgiveness.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” – Ephesians 4:32
“Forgiveness is the way to healing”
In an interview to launch i4give Day, Leila said “Forgiveness is very important, not only for us. It’s important for everyone. Forgiveness is the way to healing”.
Special thanks to the Federal and State Governments for their support and endorsement of this day.
Forgiveness is for everyone
The i4give Foundation acknowledges the universal good of forgiveness that transcends barriers and boundaries of race, nationality and creed.
While the Foundation is Christ-centred, the power of forgiveness is for all. Starting with i4give Week 2022, the Foundation envisions a ripple effect flowing through aligned community organisations and spreading a message of hope found in forgiveness into the community at large. I4give Week is the start of something, not its end.
Pray for i4give Week 2022
Because i4give Week 2022 has faith at its core, communities of faith are encouraged to pray together during the week. But why wait? Let’s start now to pray for visible signs of reconciliation in and among faith communities that will demonstrate the transformational power of forgiveness in a deeply divided world.
i4give Resources
Partner with i4give Foundation
Join with i4give Foundation for i4giveWeek 2022. Register your faith community and find resources on their website i4give.com. Or feel free to contact them at info@i4give.com.
Thank you for your partnership with the i4give Foundation.
Joyful news
For those who have been following the Abdallah family’s story the past few years, in case you missed their exciting announcement over Christmas, read: “We’re Expecting” – Sydney’s Abdallah Family Get the Perfect Christmas Gift.
Do you need someone to pray for you?
Prayer is an important part of who we are at Hope 103.2. It has the potential to transform people and cultures and the ability to unite communities and build hope, regardless of circumstances. Prayer is one of the ways we, at Hope 103.2, can support and journey with you in all seasons of life.
Our Hope & Prayer team is always ready to hear your prayer requests and praise points so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Hope & Prayer is a confidential Hope 103.2 service.
