Kirk Franklin decided to forgive his biological father after learning he only has months to live.
The singer was given up for adoption by his birth parents, and he said it made him feel hate, plus it gave him an inferiority complex. But after realizing his dad was so ill, he had a change of heart and went to see him.
“Two days ago I received an anonymous call that my biological father, who I never knew, has 3-6 months to live,” wrote Franklin. “I’ve lived my entire life hating this man. He and my biological mother gave me up for adoption, and it left me never feeling good enough, to this very day. I took my hate for him and used it as fuel to be the best father I could be for my own.”
But what I did wrong is I never took that fuel and turned it into forgiveness, and that is wrong,” he continued. “Wrong for him, me and the God I proclaim to represent. How can I preach what I don’t practice? So I flew to Houston yesterday to do that. It’s painful, it’s a process, but how disappointed I would be in myself for this man to leave this earth without being forgiven.”
According to Exodus News, Franklin’s mother Deborah Franklin was just 15 when she gave her son up for adoption, and he was raised by his aunt Gertrude Franklin. Today, Kirk has four children, two girls with his wife Tammy Collins and he also adopted her son Carrington from a previous marriage.
The gospel artist also has a 30 year old son named Kerrion, who he’s currently estranged from. In fact, Kerrion accused his father of trying to kill him in a message that he posted in June.
And in that same month, Franklin revealed that his sister was sentenced to 30 years in prison and asked if he could’ve done more to help her. Although the singer has been candid about her struggle with drugs, he didn’t go into detail about what she was charged with.
Franklin also didn’t let people know what his father’s diagnosis is but said he was eager to settle things with him before it was too late.
“He deserves to receive what God gives me everyday,” he wrote at the end of his message. “Pray for him and for me. God, this is hard. I weep as I write.”
Afterwards, a lot of people left comments and said they were touched that the 48-year-old forgave his dad.
“Wow, this made me wanna cry,” one person wrote. “So beautiful.”
“You just set some people free,” wrote another. “Watch how your testimony heals others. Prayers for you and your family. God is pleased,” wrote another.
