We Could All Learn a Lesson from the Amish
By: Terry Mitchell
I think we could all learn a lesson from the way the Amish community of Lancaster, Pennsylvania conducted itself following those tragic school shootings. There are three things in particular about way they handled this tragedy that we should heed.
First, they were quick to forgive. We hear victims of crime routinely using their public forum to vent their bitterness and proclaim to the world that they will never forgive the perpetrators. Some of these people even claim to be Christians. However, according to the Bible, we cannot be Christians and withhold our forgiveness, no matter what someone has done to us. It clearly states the God will not forgive us of our sins if we do not forgive others for the things they do against us. I wonder which part of that statement some Christians don’t seem to understand.
Second, none of those people became crusaders. They just returned to the lifestyle they practiced before this unfortunate incident. All too often, we find victims of crime completely leaving their old lifestyle behind to begin a life of crusading against a particular kind of crime. But is this a wise or healthy decision? Why allow a criminal to affect your lifestyle beyond what they have already done to you? Should we really allow them to have that much power over our lives? It’s my personal opinion that if the lifestyle I chose was right for me before the crime, then it should be right for me after the crime. The Amish seem to agree.
Third, they did not panic or make any kind of knee-jerk safety “enhancements” in an effort to prevent similar things from happening in the future. When are we, as a society, going to learn that not all bad things can be prevented? I know I might sound like a fatalist, but if someone is determined enough to commit an evil and violent act, they are going to find a way to do it, no matter what. We might as well relax and get on with our lives.
Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, amateur political analyst, and blogger from Hopewell, VA. On his blog - http://commenterry.blogs.com - he posts commentaries on various subjects such as politics, technology, religion, health and well-being, personal finance, and sports. His commentaries offer a unique point of view that is not often found in mainstream media.