Monday October 2, 2006. a man broke into the Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, and coldly shot ten girls aged 6 to 13: five died and the other five were very seriously injured.
When Forgiveness Transcends Tragedy tells the incredible story of the Amish community's reaction to this terrible killing, the story of an unexpected forgiveness that shocked the entire world.
When it comes to the Amish, we often stick to clichés and other picturesque images: they are people attached to a bygone past, who refuse modern technologies, travel in wagons, wear beards and hats. But there is much more to learn from them, as we discover in this account of the Nickel Mines tragedy and their reaction to it. The collective, unconditional forgiveness offered by the Amish community to the killer and his family – an astonishing attitude of love and compassion – gives us a glimpse of who the Amish are and how they live their faith.
This book examines the many questions this event raises about the religious beliefs that led the Amish to forgive so quickly. in a world where religions often generate violence and vengeance, the unexpected forgiveness of the Amish leads us to reflect on our deep convictions and motivations in this area and questions us about our own reactions, feelings and behaviors when we are wronged or in the face of violence in general.
ISBN: 9782755002119