I have always been fascinated by the Amish. Truly, I am fascinated by anyone who has committed themselves completely to their religion. I am not that way. I have not committed myself to one religion. I am more of an “a la carte” girl, myself. although, as a girl, before deciding I wanted to have a lot of kids, I wanted to be a nun – go figure!There is something very, almost romantic to me about that kind of commitment. But at the same time, there was a time in my life when I tried very hard to be an atheist…and if you had asked me, I would have told you I was.
I never really believed that there wasn’t a God, but I couldn’t justify it – or rationalize it – as being true. For a long time, it seemed impossible to me to believe that there could be a God. For a variety of reasons, that’s changed for me now (and maybe someday I’ll go into them), but for right now, I have to tell you about this book “Amish Grace.”
What an amazing book.
Amish Grace is a story of forgiveness in the face of horrible tragedy. After the shooting in a Nickle Mines one-room Amish school house, where five little girls were executed and five more critically wounded, the Amish – and in particular the Amish families who were affected, forgave the shooter. What’s more, they not only forgave the shooter’s family – he left behind a wife and two children – after the news got out and the Amish were flooded with many letters and money, the Amish community shared the money with them, as they too were now without a provider.
Beyond the shooting, the book looks at forgiveness as being a whole part of being Amish. To be Amish is to forgive. It’s the first thing they do.
The most interesting part of this book is to hear the rare account of how difficult it can be to forgive – but you do it anyway because that’s what God wants from us. “We’re human too,” one Amish man said.
I’ve always idealized the Amish. I read another book about them a while back about a midwife who spent time delivering Amish babies – and they are the most stoic people.
“Amish Grace” though, was a wonderful, heart-wrenching incite into a culture that shies away from the spotlight, doesn’t proselytize their faith (they believe in illustrating their faith through good works rather than “mission” type work), and truly believes in living each day as it is given.
I am humbled by their strength and their resolve. And even if you aren’t humbled by them – this book is an interesting, well-written read and a peek into a culture we rarely see on CNN. Just reading it has helped me on my own journey to seek grace.
Sherri says:
Hey Shell — did I tell you that Mark and I recently went to Lancaster? Did a tour and our tour guide knew some of the families of the girls. Even more unbelievable is that the Amish went to the funeral of the shooter AND they invited the shooter’s wife to the Amish girls’ funerals (the ONLY non-Amish person invited). They did say that there were a lot of false information that came out in the movie Amish Grace. Such a forgiving people — wish I could say the same — just don’t have it in me.
26th March 2010 at 1:37 pm