Differing perspectives on forgiveness

October 2, 2006 was a beautiful sunny Monday. I remember turning on the radio as I began to prepare lunch that day and heard the report of a stand-off at an Amish school. There are numerous Amish schools in Lancaster County, one less than five minutes from our house. Immediately I turned on the tv for more information. Quickly the news spread that the Amish school in Nickel Mines was the scene of a horrible tragedy after a gunman walked in and shot 10 little Amish girls leaving five dead and five seriously wounded and then killed himself. I gathered my children close to me and we prayed. We felt so very, very sad. Who could have done such an evil thing? Why would anyone want to kill sweet young children? A school shooting in an Amish school was unthinkable before that day.

It wasn't very long until the killer was identified. That brought more shock and more unanswered questions. He was a quiet man with no criminal history, no understood motive beyond the fact that he had bitterness in his heart to God because of the death of his baby girl nine years before. He was from a Christian family, was homeschooled growing up, had a good wife and children. And we shared a connection with his parents that I will not specify here, but it made the news a little bit more personal and tragic.

Perhaps the biggest story in the aftermath of the tragedy was the forgiveness demonstrated by the Amish. Even though the murderer of their children was dead, they forgave him in their hearts, choosing not to hold on to bitterness. They extended kindness and compassion to his family. Many news stories circulated with interviews, telling of acts of kindness, care, reconciliation..... it was truly inspiring and miraculous.

I have been reading the book, Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven Nolt, and David Weaver-Zercher. This book has been very interesting and has given me an even greater understanding of the theology the Amish embrace. I deeply respect and admire the Amish in their reactions to the unthinkable tragedy they suffered. My heart hurts thinking of the pain they experienced and still continue to live through.

Their theology, however, is deeply rooted in trying to gain God's favor through their good deeds, including forgiving others. The Amish believe that if they do not forgive, they will not be forgiven, using the Matthew 6:14-15 ("....For if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.") And the Lord's Prayer includes "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." By forgiving others, they can rest easier knowing that they will be forgiven and perhaps receive eternal life in heaven one day. The thought of not forgiving someone brings terror into their hearts because they believe they would be in danger of hell.

Generally, Protestants hold to a radically different perspective and motivation for forgiveness. We forgive because God forgave us. Not with the uncertain kind of hope that maybe He will forgive us IF we forgive. Rather beacause we have been forgiven, His grace makes it possible for us to forgive others. Our motivation is one of gratitude for the forgiveness we have already received. Ephesians 4:32 and 5:1 instructs us to be "forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." We are to be imitators of God, as His dearly loved children. So forgiveness is an outpouring of the forgiveness and grace we received from God in Christ. It all originates with God! We cannot gain God's favor by our good works, or our forgiveness of others. Without His forgiveness and grace, we were dead in sin, unable to save ourselves. No amount of good deeds could make us right with God! Isaiah 64:6 says, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." We know that we have eternal life, not because of anything we have done, not because of good deeds or forgiving others... but because we have been saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9).

These two different perspectives and motivations for forgiveness have been on my mind for the last two weeks. And God used this in His wonderful wisdom to prepare me for the lesson I was given to substitute teach the fifth and sixth grade girls' Sunday School Class today! I was asked to teach an overview of the books of Titus and Philemon to the class with the emphasis on forgiveness! How appropriate was the timing!