I’ve been in Maryland for the past few days without a computer. So, no posts.
But it’s been hard not to obsess on this senseless slaughter that occurred just two hours from where I was staying. It’s beyond comprehension. It’s completely insane, as the gunman must surely have been.
But the most amazing part of the story is the immediate inclination of the Amish community in Lancaster County to want to pray for the family of the shooter. In the midst of unspeakable sorrow, they came together as a grieving community and offered their words of sadness on behalf of the Roberts family.
How can a person be so evil, so disturbed that he would pick on the most vulnerable?
It is staggering evil that reminds us that the only hope for this world is the reign of God.
In the prospect of evil I cling to a good and holy God. The forces of darkness are greater than we think, but the power of our Diving Maker is far greater still. Therein lies our hope.
Whoooooops! I meant “Divine Maker.”
I felt ashamed of myself when I read the reactions of the community toward the shooter. I was certainly not thinking of the man or his family, but these Christians have demonstrated a commitment to loving their enemies and praying for those who would do them harm that I only wish I had.
This sort of adds to the standard “What would you do if…” scenario often put to pacifists. Apparently their answer is, “When that happens, we would pray for that man and for his family.”
Really there are no words. May God bless them all with the knowledge of his unending love and comfort them in their distress.
God’s law is so different from what consider to be justice. God turns it all upside down. When I read about the Amish praying for the family tear immediately came but not in sorrow…those were tears of joy. They are living out God’s upside down plan for us.
I totally agree with Greg and Julie. A couple of weeks ago, Harding students were arguing over whether such a situation as these Amish people are going through would be cause to commit murder. The first reaction of these Amish is to pray for the family of the man who slaughtered their daughters. Ah, that God’s people everywhere would learn to be so graceful to the guilty!
I’m glad you used the phrase “picked on,” because it truly seems like a bully came in and harmed a very peaceful people.
My hurt goes out to these families, Mike. I truly cannot comprehend how anyone could do such a senseless act of violence. But I am so grateful for the Amish families and the Godly way in which they have responded. I am jealous of the Amish in many ways as they seem to share authentic community that does not hesitate in making sacrifices for what they believe to be the greater good.
God be with these families and us as we try to do our part in loving a broken world.
It’s been as if these Amish families had no other option than to forgive. This kind of unconditional forgiveness is unknown to the world, which seeks immediate, “tit-for-tat” revenge. It’s been an incredible testimony of the way of Jesus, that’s for sure.
I am a strange person. My heart DID go out to the shooter. Why did he not have any trust in anyone to seek help when he was having these evil thoughts & dreams? We ALL have our demons. I hope that we, as Christians, can learn a lesson from this. We need to be there for one another when Satan is attacking. We need to trust one another with our “baggage”. We need to support & encourage & even admonish, but without judgement. If only this guy had someone to trust, maybe he would have found some much-needed help. Let’s not let our brothers & sisters down. There are people in your own congregations that are battling demons of their own - I hope we can be Jesus for them because no one can battle Satan on their own. (End rant.)
While I agree their attitude of forgiveness toward the shooter is a wonderful thing, you can be too forgiving…
My sister told me of an incident that got some publicity where a girl in an Amish family was being molested repeatedly by two brothers. Consistent with a belief of forgiving everyone, her parents did little besides scold the boys, and when she finally told others, the church punished the brothers by publicly denouncing their sin, and forbidding them to attend church or take communion for a short while (like 2 or 3 weeks if I remember).
Finally the girl had to run away and tell authorities. When they became involved and the boys were sentenced, the Amish were deeply upset. They do not like having the courts involved in their community.
The point is that they were vastly more upset about the brothers being sentenced for jail time than they were a girl in their community being raped.
Forgiving to the point that we’re not protecting the innocent, in other words forgiving but also not holding people responsible, can’t be a good thing either.
And to follow up, here’s the article with the story I mentioned above.
And to repeat, I’m not saying that the Amish’s sense of forgiveness or concern for the shooter is a bad thing. Indeed, I agree with Mike. I just think we need to be careful to never let forgiveness come to the point where we have no concern for those in need of protection.
I am inclined to think that if our churches were to err on one side or the other of forgiveness that it would not be the side of forgiving too much.
I think even Jesus once gave an absurd and outlandish number when asked how much one should forgive.
More then anything through this senseless act of violence I have seen what it means to “be still and know that I am God.” It shows me how backward the teachings of Christ are in compairison to this world when he says forgiveness is not just for the ones you love but for your enemies as well. We truly serve a God who uses broken things.
Watching Larry King last night was incredible when talking about the forgiveness that they were showing to the shooter. Talking about how they weren’t going to build up any anger or hatred. That they must teach their children the right way of handling bad things in life. Wow, there is so much we can learn.
reJoyce,
Agreed — there are no words, as far as knowing just the right things to say in a dark hour.
But there is one right Word, Jesus. He intimately understands the suffering of the innocent. He does not fear the ravings of the insane or the appearance of the disfigured or sick, and he puts his hands on them. He knows the determined onslaught of the guilty, and is willing to be lifted up for them. He knows Unfair Capital Punishment and Death.
And he has begun (”finished”) the work of undoing all the above. And we are his disciples.
This is the Word we can have at such times.
Michael
I wonder if God has a special lane in heaven for horses and buggies….
May God continue to pour out his blessings and forgiveness on the family of the shooter. May God have mercy on his soul, and comfort the families of those that lost loved ones.
No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.
On a lighter note, as I am overwhelmed with all the negative news of the past few weeks, I wonder how many calls/e-mails are sent to the Highland office when Mike takes a 4 day break from his blog asking….
Has Mike taken ill?
Has there been an ice storm in Abiline and is the power out?
Ok, what exotic vacation destination is he at this time?
He does know that there are such things as internet cafe’s, public libraries, etc. with internet access doesn’t he?
I can’t imagine having to deal with something like this and responding the way they are, but I guess I understand how this can happen in a fallen world, to people who are outside of the control of Christ.
What I find sadder and more difficult to understand is that I believe the Fred Phelps “church” out of Topeka, KS is targeting the funerals of these Amish girls to protest and promote their hate-filled anti-gay propaganda. The church, which claims about 70 members, believes that the 9/11 attacks, the deaths of U.S. troops in war and Hurricane Katrina are manifestations of God’s punishment for a country that does not outlaw homosexuality. They wave banners and signs like, “Thank God for dead soldiers”. What are they going to wave at the funerals of these innocent little girls?
Jesus, please thwart their plans!
So that part about loving enemies and praying for one’s persecutors is actually doable in the real world.
Jay,
I don’t think that “forgiveness” is the right word for turning a blind eye… it seems to me that in the story you sight, there is a severe misunderstanding/misuse of the word forgiveness… I wonder where we may be doing similar things in our own faith communities. For instance many times we use the word grace and the word forgiveness interchangeably. Living under a false pretense that you can’t have one without the other. But is that true? I believe it’s possible that the amish community has bought into such a subtle, but none the less deadly lie. I believe we do it too.
Anyway, my point in bringing this up - I disagree with your statement that, “you can be too forgiving.” If we allow the misuse of, and redefining of a word like “forgiving” then yes, I suppose we can be too much of it… But, if we don’t misuse/redefine the word, then according to Jesus, we can’t forgive too much! Remember when Peter tried to pin Jesus down on this, thinking seven times was enough? Clearly it wasn’t.
All of that said, I sure do wish I understood forgiveness better. I wish I could articulate with pinpoint accuracy the meaning of such a beautiful and powerful word. I want to see through my own “blind spots” and know where I misuse and redefine…
I also want to be clear that I am thankful that they (the amish) are faithfully seeking to forgive the murderer and praying (amidst their own sorrow) for his family. That is a wonderful expression of Love.
A wise man once told me and again I see it to be true, “Understanding follows obedience.” May we all forgive as we have been forgiven. To God be the glory.
Love, In Him,
J
Jason,
I’m convinced we get ‘forgiveness’ and ‘approbation’ confused at times, also we confuse what we have the power to forgive [the pain and hurt caused us by another] but only God can forgive the actual sin.
We forgive the pain, but call to accountability the action and leave cleansing the stain of sin to our Savior.
I’m thinking about two dear young men that died this weekend because they were drinking and let a friend, who was also drinking drive the vehicle. The drive survived and will need so much help in working through his guilt - he needs gentle loving forgiveness for the terrible pain of the loss of these two young men and his friends. But he will also need gentle, loving help in working through his drinking problems and giving his guilt to God in confession and repentence.
It’s sometimes difficult for us to separate some of these elements, but we simply must.
I was moved to tears by the broadcasting of a segment of the Amish church service, by their praise to God, prayers for the families of the survivors and the shooter’s family, as well as for the shooter himself. I pray I’d be able to react in similar manner should, God please forbid, such a tragedy hit my family or close loved ones.
Hey Mike, we’ve missed you!! Glad you’re back!
Have you seen the way everyone is reacting in disbelief to the Amish’s reaction to this?
Almost seems like the witness that should be happening every day, huh?
Maybe their on to something.
I found it even more deeply troubling that the words the killer spoke evoked utter hatred for God and ironically when he called his wife on his cell phone, she was at a Mom’s In Touch meeting where moms meet and pray for their children’s schools, teachers, students, etc. Sad beyond words.
Imagine if everyone who called themself a christian exhibited this type of forgiveness for those that wronged us? Could we transform the world?
I don’t even think the question has to be asked. We (and I’m including myself in this) need to step up and actually live out what Jesus said. Lets get off our moral high horses because we aren’t gay, or we don’t drink or smoke, and lets actually follow the commands that Jesus gave us before we start making up our own.
One of the other things I admire about the Amish is the way they are secure in their convictions, like about technology. They won’t use it themselves, but they don’t go railing at those of us who choose to, either.
The ability to hold and maintain convictions strongly as a community without imposing them on others outside the community I think demonstrates security and commitment to those principles, and not the surrender, indifference or “selling out” that one might suppose.
ftwskies
The Amish families also showed their intelligence and love when modern science and transport were necessary to save the girls’ lives - allowing ambulances, helicopters and airplanes to be used when the girls needed to be moved to different hospitals and facilities.
Their quiet, gentle ways have always amazed me and quite frankly, have put me to shame many a time. There is a serenity that surrounds them, especially the women and children that would be well for me to use as a model of behavior, I must confess.
Its reminiscent of Jesus breaking the Law of Moses by healing on the Sabbath…. the morals of your community shouldn’t be used to harm. They are to help, and for the most part, the laws of the amish are good for them, but then know when things are more important than that.
I’m wondering if there’s any way to help the families?
Yeah. Go to Floydlandis.com He’s this year’s Tour de France winner, and a native of that area.
I have been researching the Amish and it is so interesting:
*they no not support mission work
*they are not allowed to have their portraits taken(graven image scripture)
*women wear blue or purple wedding dresses
*they do not have electricity because they would then be “yoked with unbelievers”
*funerals are held in homes as well as church services
*the Amish love to sing, but no singing is allowed at funerals. There is a hymn read
*Men have beards and no mustaches(because the later would associate them with looking like soldiers)
*They offer no formal education beyond the 8th grade
*There are genetic disorders due to the closeness of the gene pool
*They are not evangelic
*They are hard working and God fearing
Please pray for the community! I cannot imagine the pain they are going through.
*Their forgiveness is awe-inspiring!
I think it is awesome to study other religions. Go to a search engine and look up Amish. It is very informative~~God bless the families!
lee
Revelation chapters 17 & 18 describe organized religion as a harlot who lives in shameless luxury (because of the influence she has over many peoples) riding on the back of the worldly political system (pictured as a wild beast). When the harlot’s influence over the people dries up and the political system no longer needs her, the wild beast turns on the harlot and completely destroys her, to the dismay of the traveling merchants who used to enrich themselves by means of the harlot. Lou Dobbs has reported that the IRS is thinking of taxing Christendom’s churches because of their political activities. This is good news to all who long to see the destruction of organized religion which has behaved like a high-priced prostitute in her dealings with political figures around the world. The end of false religion is near!
henrypauldrinkardATmailDOTcom
what?
We also need to remember the wife and other family members of the shooter. How tragic for them! Their life has also been turned upside down. Imagine the feelings going through them.
If you need to blog while in Maryland, stop by our facility in Frederick. We like reading you.
Weird Al had a song a couple of years ago called Amish Paradise. Did anyone hear that song? Maybe Wierd Al is to blame for the shootings. We blamed Marylon Manson for the Columbine Shootings and influence that he had on the shooters life.. Maybe Wierd Al’s lyrics had had something to do with it, go in and see if he like Wierd Al and if Wierd Al had an influence on this man’s life.
I hate guns!
We enjoyed a trip to Lancaster County this past spring. I loved being there — so peaceful. I remember passing a school house and seeing the joy on the faces of the children as they were playing at recess. So sad that their peacefulness has been interrupted — but not taken from them. They will again achieve peace as they practice forgiveness.
Beaner, You’re not strange. I know people like the shooter. They are Jeffrey Dahmer-like people who are to be pitied not hated. This guy has probably had a life-type of abuse of one kind or another along with possibe mental disorders. If you read Jeffrey Dahmer’s statements after he was arrested, he said things like I killed the people so that they would stay with me because I was so lonely. More than Dahmer being evil, it’s that we all live in a world that is sin filled and that can cause us to do something like it did to Dahmer and the shooter. It’s through the grace of God that we aren’t the shooter either. I do want to say that we can all choose good or evil and are all responsible for our behavior, but for some people, it’s just not that easy.
How can anyone or any people be so good? It is about listening to Jesus without qualification, I think.
Do we also know that even Jeffrey Dahmer converted before he was killed in prison?
Jeffrey Dalhmer was also a Weird Al fan.
In Roy Ratcliff’s (with Lindy Adams) recent book about Jeffrey Dahmer, Dark Journey Deep Grace (Leafwood Publishers), and his studies with him in prison, Roy quotes Dahmer’s interview from NBC’s Dateline.
Dahmer was asked what he felt when he committed his horrific crimes. He answered, “I felt that I didn’t have to be accountable to anyone. Since man came from slime, I was accountable to no one.”
A God-void will always leave an empty place that can become the devil’s workshop to craft evil. Christians are watchmen. Instead of watching too much television and too many movies, Christians can watch for empty people because Jesus is ready to move into emptiness, relieve disillusionments, and bring a healthy respect for life–respect that allows doing good to a neighbor not harm.
I don’t have all the answers, but I’m praying that God open my eyes to those in my contact who have canyon-voids.
When Dahmer was killed my boss at that time asked me if I thought God really could have forgiven him the horrible acts he committed. My response was if Dahmer can’t be forgiven none of can.
AND - Cathy Messecar,
“Instead of watching too much television and too many movies, Christians can watch for empty people because Jesus is ready to move into emptiness, relieve disillusionments, and bring a healthy respect for life–respect that allows doing good to a neighbor not harm.”
Amen! and again Amen!
What great grief and joy I felt when I heard the wise kind voice of the Amish women telling the national news reporter that as Christians they would forgive. How tremendous to hear HIS NAME lifted up in love in front of the world!
Not to deflate from the Amish situation, but where you staying in Maryland? My wife and I attend Highland and are from Frederick. We don’t often hear of anyone venturing up that way, so when we do our interests are peaked.