Sunday, October 08, 2006

Extremes

I have to wonder how many of the newsies who descended on Pennsylvania know that the Amish don't like to have their pictures taken. At least not pictures in which you could recognize the faces.

So I wouldn't put up a picture of Anna Mae Stoltzfus, even if one was available. No need to anyway; her eight words were worth a thousand pictures: "Shoot me and leave the other ones loose." Dear God, how could a twelve-year-old have such holiness in her? I was struck dumb to learn such people could exist in our flawed world.

I was not as surprised to learn that dozens of Amish families had gone to the gunman's funeral. I had heard of their ability to forgive before this. I don't know that I could have done it, but there it is, they could forgive and they did.

And I was going to contrast the Amish with that other religion, but you know what? Let's not. They don't deserve mention. Let's just reflect on the goodness of this little girl that was taken from us. That's a full plate right there.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was dumbstruck as well.

They forgave because they know God.

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