One
of the most life changing tenants of the Amish faith that we all can learn from
is Forgiveness. Many Amish novels incorporate
the Amish belief and necessity of forgiveness in the storyline. Practicing forgiveness has been one of the
most important lessons I’ve learned from reading Amish novels.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a
grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians
3:13
If
the Lord is willing to forgive me, who am I not to extend forgiveness to
others?
Do
you recall the massacre at West Nichol Mines School in Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania on October 2, 2006 where ten Amish schoolchildren, ages 6 – 13,
were shot and five died? The shooter,
Charles Carl Roberts IV, took his own life after lining the schoolchildren up
and shooting them.
The
same day of the shooting, the first of Charles Carl Robert’s Amish neighbors
reached out to his widow, Marie, to offer forgiveness to her and her children. The Amish grandfather of one of the victims,
said on that day to younger relatives, “We must not think evil of this man.”
The public at large
was amazed that the Amish comforted the Roberts family hours after the shooting
and extended forgiveness to them. Amish community members visited and comforted Roberts' widow, parents, and other relatives. As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, an Amish man comforted the sobbing Roberts' father for well over an hour. Approximately 30 members of the Amish community attended Roberts' funeral and invited Marie Roberts, the widow of the killer to the funeral of one of the victims. She was one of the few outsiders allowed at the funeral.
Marie Roberts wrote an
open letter to her Amish neighbors thanking them for their forgiveness, grace,
and mercy. She wrote, "Your love for our family has helped to provide the
healing we so desperately need. Gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a
way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family,
beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely
thank you."
If
these heartbroken parents of murdered children can offer forgiveness to their
children’s murderer, can I offer forgiveness to people who step in front of me
in line, gossip about me, those who hurt my feelings, and in all those everyday
situations where I can choose forgiveness over anger and bitterness?
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