Bob Cornwall/Faith in the Public Square

Word came on Oct. 2 of another school shooting. Such news is no longer as surprising as it once was, but this time the location and the victims left us stunned. Ten Amish girls living in an isolated village in Pennsylvania were shot by a disturbed man. Five of the girls have died, while the surviving victims cling to life. Living as they do, seemingly isolated from the bustle of the modern world, these girls were unlikely victims. But, once again we've discovered that violence's reach knows no boundaries.

The Amish seem quaint and even otherworldly. With their buggies and old fashioned clothing, their very separateness from the world has made them something of a tourist attraction. Maybe they remind us simpler days, but despite the attraction we find them odd. Descendants of a 16th century reform movement that includes the Mennonites, the Amish have long been something of a counter-cultural group. Their focus as simple farmers has been on community and self-reliance. In their desire to live simply they give no thought to modern convenience or political power. But there is more to this community of farmers who seem to live in the 19th century.

In a world where religiously inspired or sanctioned violence is on the rise, the Amish stand out as an alternative. Theirs is a life of self-denial and nonviolence. This contrasts with our need to pursue justice, which could be better defined as revenge - an eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Darfur, Kosovo, Palestine, and Israel, and on goes the list, are all places where religiously sanctioned violence is present. After 9/11 this need for justice led many Americans, indeed religious Americans, to call for revenge. Many cheered when we heard the news that Sunday morning in October that bombs were falling on Afghanistan.

As we have watched this story unfold, we have seen how this Amish village in Pennsylvania has taken a different path. Yes, there is great sadness and much grief, but instead of calling for revenge, the Amish families have reached out to the family of Charles Roberts, his wife and his three children. Charles Roberts is the perpetrator of this heinous and brutal crime, but the Amish have extended to his family forgiveness and comfort. We read how the Amish families invited the Roberts family to join them in the funerals for the five girls, so that they might find a place of solace and piece. In doing this they lifted the shame and the guilt that this family surely felt. The Amish also brought food to this family.

Religion can be a source of intolerance, hatred, and violence, but the gracious witness of these Amish families shows us a better way. This is a people who take the teachings and the actions of Jesus seriously. They take quite literally his call to love one's enemies and to turn the other cheek. It should be no surprise that they are pacifists, but they embrace the call to take up the cross of Jesus with such fervor that they're ready to suffer when necessary and they're also willing to deny themselves the pleasures and benefits of modern life.

The Amish way of life intrigues me, though I suppose I'm too much of a realist and a pragmatist to follow their path closely. Still, their example not only of nonviolence but radical forgiveness offers us a ray of hope for the future. If we paid closer attention to their way of thinking, their understanding of God, perhaps we could resolve the seemingly irresolvable conflicts of the day, such as the one in Northern Ireland, the one in Israel/Palestine, and now the one in Iraq.

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The Amish example is at once unfathomable and instructive. As we grieve with them at this uninvited intrusion of violence into their community, may we also celebrate the grace and mercy they've displayed in reaching out to the Roberts family. Then perhaps we'll discover for ourselves a way of peace and recognize a path that leads to reconciliation. The Amish have given us a good example of what Christianity - indeed any religion - can be at its best.

Dr. Bob Cornwall is pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lompoc (www.lompocdisciples.org). He may be contacted at lompocdisciples@impulse.net or First Christian Church, P.O. Box 1056, Lompoc, CA 93438.

Oct. 15, 2006