CivicActions

Bill Moyers recently had a piece on PBS about the anniversary of the Amish school massacre. I was struck by the incredible compassion of the Amish community, especially towards the family of the man who committed the murders.

Here's an excerpt from a statement (about a month old) on behalf of the Amish, one year after the school massacre in Nickel Mines, PA:

The forgiveness extended by the Amish community to the Roberts family [the family of the man who committed the murders] was noted around the world. The Amish did not wish such publicity for doing what Jesus taught and want to make sure that glory is given to God for that witness. Many from Nickel Mines have pointed out that forgiveness is a journey, that you need help from your community of faith and from God, and sometimes even from counselors, to make and hold on to a decision to not become a hostage to hostility. It is understood that hostility destroys community.

And a passage from a new book called Amish Grace:

...The Amish are better prepared than most Americans to deal with a tragedy like this. The Amish are a close-knit community woven together by strong ties of family, faith and culture. Members in distress can tap this rich reservoir of communal care during horrific events. The typical Amish person has seventy-five or more first cousins, many living nearby. Members of a thirty-family church district typically live within a mile or so of each other's homes. When tragedy strikes — fire, flood, illness, or death — dozens of people surround the distressed family with care. They take over their chores, bring them food, set up benches for visitation, and offer quiet words of comfort. The Amish call this thick web of support mutual aid. They literally follow the New Testament commandment to "bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). So while no one is ever ready to deal with a tragedy like this, historical practices had prepared the Amish well.

In this time of fear- and hate-mongering, it's pretty clear to me that if we're ever going to get away from the fear and hate, it's going to be because of people like this. Less eye-for-an-eye and more lean-on-your-friends-and-community-and-deal-with-life's-curveballs. Cross your fingers.