Pastor Dan’s Brother Writes …

My brother serves as a pastor at Blaine United Church of Christ (on the Canadian boarder north of Seattle). He has graciously given me permission to share something he wrote in their October Newsletter.  I believe that he has captured the “spirit” that we all need to be embraced by and also to share!  I hope you’ll agree. And I do thank my dear brother, Bob Rieke!  Keep writing, bro!  We need it.

Outrageous Forgiveness

We were stunned in shocked disbelief.  A gunman, in anguish at having been a sexual predator earlier in his life, burst into an Amish schoolhouse and killed five young girls.  Apparently, he was overcome with shame and was entertaining feelings of molesting again.   Suicide, then perhaps, but why the murder of the girls?  In some twisted way a blaming action; therefore, the killing of those whom he believed tempted him?   Whatever the reason, this was a nearly unspeakable tragedy!

How would these peaceful, devout Amish people respond? How would we have responded?  An eye for an eye?  Anger?  Hatred?  A vow of retribution!  A law suit (someone must be held accountable!)?

Rather, many Amish gathered at the funeral of the killer who had taken his own life after killing the girls.  There in outrageous compassion these Amish spoke words of forgiveness and comforted the man's wife.

An explanation for the evil?  Truly there was/is none!  We exercise free will in our interactions, and none of us is exempt from tragedy.  Forgiveness, however, is within our God-given power.

How could the Bible's Job so long ago, in his suffering, resist the urge to curse God?  Yet, we affirm even in pain God grieves with us. God loves us.  We can be certain that we will never fall farther than into the hands of God.

Whatever our situation... whatever grudges we may nourish... whatever pain we may choose to re-live... whatever vengeance we may plot, the truth is we must forgive and love, renew and restore.  This is the only way to wholeness, health and peace!