Amish Grace Book Review

Being laid up a little the last few days recovering from Gall Bladder surgery has left me with time to read. Awhile back a friend let me borrow her copy of Amish Grace, which I finally read from start to finish.

The book tells about the tragedy of October 2, 2006 in which 10 girls were shot, five killed in a horrific school shooting by a lone gunman.

This shooting happened in an Amish school, not a public, American High School. For me this was important in that I realized that even the places that seem the safest are not safe from tragedy or evil.

This book opened my eyes to a culture that I don't know a lot about. Reading about the actions of the Amish after the shooting gave my heart and mind a lot to ponder. Do we, as Christians, forgive that way? Aren't we supposed to?

I tend to put myself in the stories I read. This one was tough, cause I'm not Amish. Would I forgive so freely, so quickly, so wholeheartedly if one of the shot or murdered children was my own? Doesn't the Bible say that I should?

One conclusion I came to was that forgiveness is something that I want to do well, but I don't know if I do. However, forgiveness as a Christian is not something we can choose to opt out of. If we don't forgive, will we be forgiven? The bible is very clear that we won't.

I definitely recommend the book 'Amish Grace'. I think Christians in America should show a little more forgiveness and grace in the world, and not just preach about it. If we are to have an impact on our world, we have to walk the walk. Christians are often looked at as hypocritical. Sadly, many of us are.

The Amish may have beliefs that many don't understand or agree with in many areas. Yet, they take their faith in the Lord seriously. It isn't a Sunday thing or a Wednesday night thing. Their faith is deeply ingrained in their everyday lives, in their thinking, in every aspect of their lives. Forgiveness isn't just something preached about once in awhile. It's one of the integral and emphasized parts of their lives.

Maybe others could take a lesson in that, including me.