"Amish Grace" by Donald D. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, and David L. Weaver-Zercher



In October of 2006 a man entered an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania and shot ten schoolgirls, killing five and injuring five, before turning the gun on himself. While this horrific act shocked and horrified people around the world, what happened in the days after truly stunned the outside world. The Amish people of Nickel Mines forgave the shooter and his family.

People were stunned at the compassionate response of the Amish community. Forgiveness is a difficult concept for many people, especially in the face of tragedy. Why were the Amish so quick to forgive and why did it come so naturally to them?

Amish Grace answers these questions by looking at forgiveness through the context of the Nickel Mines incident. The book provides a historical background, the way in which the Amish community functions and the Biblical basis for forgiveness. From the Amish perspective it looks at the roots, habit, spirituality and practice of forgiveness.

The book provides stunning insight into a people who at first glance seem backwards and countercultural. It looks beyond the stereotypes and into peoples daily lives to understand who they really are and how their faith influences every part of their lives. It takes time out of our busy and often self-centered world to show us an alternative way of life. And it shows us how we all can learn from the Amish way of life and extend grace and forgiveness in our own lives.

Comments

  1. bookaddict4realMarch 30, 2010 at 12:52 PM

    I just wanted to say I am glad you touched on this subject I had no idea that the people involved had forgiven the murderer but I think it's an interesting subject(forgiveness) and
    one that's not talked about enough

    ReplyDelete
  2. ShanMarch 30, 2010 at 6:21 PM

    It's amazing how only a day later talk of forgiveness began and they really reached out to the family of the shooter. Absolutely beautiful. So much can be learned from this.

    I thought the book would be more about the incident, but they give more space to the topic of forgiveness.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bookalicious RamblingsApril 3, 2010 at 10:25 AM

    I'm not religious myself, but I still find this book fascinating as I've always been 'intrigued' by the Amish. Thanks for the recommendation!

    ReplyDelete

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