Today on Listen Up - One year since an Amish schoolhouse tragedy began
redefining the word forgiveness, even for the Amish. Also, an exclusive
interview today on Listen Up!
Welcome to Listen UP, where one year since the Amish school
house killings the Amish have built a school and called it New Hope.
Today a story of how that new hope is taking forgiveness all around the
world.
GUESTS
Pastor Dwight Lefever
Pastor to the Roberts family
One year since that crime, Listen Up brings you the exclusive first
interview granted by the Pastor who was the spokesman for the killer
and his family.
Although Pastor Dwight Lefever knew Charlie for nine years, he had no
indication the man who weekly attended his church was harboring murder.
Nor was that sensed by Charlie’s dad, a former police officer
with special training in detection of dangerous behaviour. Family and
friends remain bewildered at what took over a loving father and
husband.
Jonas Beiler
Former Amish and Founder of The Family Resource Counselling Center
Jonas Beiler grew up Amish and married an Amish girl. He knows a thing
or two about marketing. He and his wife Anne founded America’s
famous Auntie Anne’s Pretzel company. With their profits, they
began a charitable counseling service designed especially to help the
Amish. Jonas knows the immediacy of Amish forgiveness, but personal
experience told him they would need help on the journey:
Brad Aldrich
Counsellor at The Family Resource Counselling Center www.fracc.net
Brad directs the counseling center the Bieler’s founded, says all
the grieving families in this Amish community are still figuring out
their new normal.
Herman Bontrager Spokesman for Amish and Nickel Mines Accountability Committee
Religious beliefs mean the Amish will not go on camera. Herman
Bontrager, a former Amish man, was asked by the Amish to manage public
inquires into their tragedy. Despite their retreat from public life,
over $ 4 million of donations poured into their traumatized community.
Chaplain Grover DeVault
Pennsylvania State Police Chaplaincy
Police Chaplain Grover DeVault worked with the Amish to identify the
children in the schoolhouse. Teacher Anna Mae Zupp carefully wrote
their names in his daytimer. And he learned a secret to the forgiveness
the world was about to watch…
“the Amish community has taught me about the significance of the
Lord’s prayer. They say it before breakfast. They say it when the
kids go to school. The kids say it at school. They say it when they
come home and they say it when they go to bed. And repeating the
Lord’s prayer has set them up to be able to say, that we forgive
those who trespass against us. And ask the Lord to forgive us of our
debts or our debtors or how we have transgressed against them. So that
prepared them. They didn’t come to this in a vacuum. They came
prepared.”
So little was known about Amish theology, they gave three religion
professors from Pennsylvania Colleges permission to explain their story
in a new book, Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy.
Author Donald Kraybill:
“I think the outside world was simply shocked that this community
could engage in forgiveness so quickly. There were hundreds and
hundreds of news stories about this around the world within days of the
shooting…..I think the Amish would say that what they are doing
is simply practicing standard Christian faith. And forgiveness is a
central Christian value. And the Christian Gospel invites everyone who
is a believer in that, to practice that kind of forgiveness. The Amish
are certainly unique with their bonnets and beards and buggies. But
nevertheless, underneath that, they are seeking to follow in the ways
of Jesus, to respond to enemies not with hatred or retaliation, but to
respond with goodness and with grace and even with compassion.”
What makes the Amish forgiveness sustainable is their radical belief
that Jesus Christ invites them on the journey of forgiveness – that it
is a daily step forward. What’s challenged me is am I willing to be so
obedient to the teachings of JC that I’ll forgive those who’ve wronged
me – whether it’s a grudge – whether it’s a terrible tragedy such as
they’ve suffered – we’ve heard how this challenge has gone all the way
to political leaders. It still comes back to the individual decision in
each of our hearts. Are we willing to accept the teachings of Jesus
Christ as our own?
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On April 30, 2005 Lorna was privileged to receive an honorary Doctorate of Christian Ministries from Canada's largest Christian university, Trinity Western University. Lorna was recognized for the witness and leadership that Listen Up TV has provided in public messaging: "a leader in the voice of evangelical life in Canada."
