Stories Collected While Living in France
"The hurt is very great,
but they don’t balance the hurt with hate."
(Mr. Huntington, with CNN, is quoted in regards to the Amish who mourn the tragedy of their beloved children.)
Forgiveness first without question.
I am humbled by such extraordinary love.
photo: a surviving mural on a wall in Pompeii.
What an absolute tragedy, and yet they can forgive. That is love and that is freedom. Their faith in the face of such tragedy is overwhelming and inspiring. Nel
Our hearts go out to them.
Humbled also by their forgiveness.
You can’t balance hurt with hate: they are both on the same side of the scales.
I too have been very affected by this. I remember when I was student before studying counseling, a phrase floating around in our classes was “hate doesnt heal”. And its true.
This is of course *nothing* compared to this horrific event in Lancaster, but in a very small way I have been seeing this “hate doesnt heal” stuff in my own life: the studio I moved into is above a house. Knowing I am chemically sensitive and needed things nontoxic, my landlords still brought in toxic and volitile moth balls (THE top household toxin) into the house below, and it has come right up here (poor insulation) and made me ill and also the fumes have seeped into some of my things that I will now have to give up. They also have had guests smoking right under me when we agreed no smoking. For someone with chemical sensitivity, this has been another rental nightmare. And there have been no apologies from them, no really remedying from them, the harm has been done and is still happening now… until I move.
And so the other day it occured to me briefly, that some folks would have responded by fighting back by making their lives below in the house miserable–walking around in loud bangy shoes up here, speaking with guests/thier clients about what Ive seen with their character as I run by them coming to and fro. There was this brief little glimmer that said I was stupid for not fighting back like that, for not doing those things when Id been hurt like this. Because the world expects us to “fight back”, sees us as weak when we dont, and so Id taken in that judgement for a bit. And in the end it reminded again that truly “hate doesnt heal”. It doesnt. My hurting them wont heal me here, it would only bring more hurt into the world.
It has just floored me what has happened in Lancaster county and Ive been working through some of that on my blog, but I know the Amish are right that hate wont heal anything. Those Amish familes know that hate wont bring their precious children back, it would only put more hate into the world. They are incredbily wise. More and more I notice that it is the most kind who are the most wise.
Your comments your blog shows me a gentle loving heart and one who’s kindness is given every day of her life.
I just dropped in from Australia to say hello and wish you a lovely Friday as it leaves us down here a beautiful day. Lee-ann
Holding steadfast to beliefs in the face of incredible tragedy is an exercise we should all incorporate into our lives.
The Amish have such grace and diginity….I only hope to develop a little piece of that in my own life.
Yes that is profound!
Forgiveness.
Forgiveness grows out of the wisdom of the heart and forgiveness is the heart of wisdom. Love for-ever-gives.”
Michael J. Tamura,
in “You Are The Answer” Emile
God bless the families who are grieving and everyone
in this world we share.
I pray all hearts are full of love and peace.
Love is the strongest force in the universe.
Be the light of Christ
with all you come into contact with.
Blessings!
It is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada.
I am ever thankful for you!
might doesn’t make right. hate and fear is the greatest evils in our world.
Their act says it all.
I often wonder if I could be so strong in my own faith if faced with such tragedy. Their strength is truly inspiring.
i too am humbled by the strength of their faith.
forgiveness is one of the most difficult and yet one of the most healing acts we can try to master.
beautiful post.
we pray for the families of the victims, we pray for the family of the perpetrator. we pray.
Living in the area, i can tell you that the testimony of Forgiveness first is really making a difference. The entire community (and surrounding counties) have been pulling together – both in mourning and in helping – and it’s a beatiful thing in the midst of such grief. Tuesday morning, without any rain or chance of rain, a gorgeous rainbow was seen in the area – perhaps a small reminder that God is still on the Throne and that He is not the root of evil.
i’ve also been rather impressed that the major world news has behaved themselves well – they have seemed to respect the Amish. Local news has been superb and the way people have been working tirelessly to feed and care for ALL the victims (including fire, police, etc) is a tribute to the strong work ethic and Christian values that are prevalent in our area.
Please keep praying – espeically for those who were first on the scene as well as the coroners. Also there have been reports that the schoolteacher (20 yr old girl) is going through Survivor Guilt as i’m sure those boys are as well.
Yes, I’m in awe of their ability to forgive. This last week a representative from the Amish community went to see the widow and family of the murderer to let her know that they hold no ill feelings towards her and her family. What an incredibly kind gesture!
I have friends currently facing the possibility of losing their child to leukemia… it hurts to even try and imagine what that is like. The Amish tragedy is equally incomprehensible. Loss makes no sense… but love always risks it. Love wins.
Corey, you always manage to find the ‘heart and soul’ of every situation. Thank you and bless you.
House of Java where I have coffee in the morning
(see – http://scenesfromaslowmovingtrain.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-day-starts-here.html)
is also the A.M. watering hole for many of our local police. When the Amish murders broke I was talking with one of the retired detectives. We both agreed that if you can’t feel safe in a one-room school house in Amish country, Lancaster PA, then you can’t feel safe ANYWHERE in this world. I cannot begin to image the grief these peacable people must be feeling that the “English” world has intruded on them in the absolute worst way possible.
“blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called sons of God.”
As my mom was wheeled away to surgery yesterday, I had the profound sense that (given the way she lives her life) she would be fine no matter what happened to her body. It was my father and the rest of the family who faced real danger, not her.
Reading the comments about the first responders was the first time I had applied this idea to the situation in Lancaster, though. Indeed, the little girls are now safe. Their families are left to mourn. The responders are left to ponder the inhumanity of man.
I will add those folks to my prayers.
Thanks, dear Corey, for creating this space for thought and beauty.
Sigh. It must have been like an unimaginable hell for this community as they have not been desensitized to the horrors of “modern” society as the rest of us have been by TV, news, movies, etc.
Their reaction has demonstrated the absolute value of possessing a strong faith. That they could gather, grieve, and come to peace with the enormous tragedy of losing an entire generation along with these beloved tender flowers, is proof to me that living such a faith is solace itself.
there is so much pain and tragedy passed on from generation to generation when boys are taught not to cry, not to communicate their feelings….
if this man had been able to give himself and others a bit of forgiveness, this whole thing would not have happened.
time for us all to practice forgiveness.
great quote and marvelous photo, corey! thank you!
First the Montreal Dawson College shooting on Sept13th, then others followed; now one of the gentlest people around has been assaulted. The worst imaginable hurt they could ever endure; having their children murdered in cold blood. These people live in God and yet they too have not been spared the grief that mankind continues to suffer. Violence is all around us. My husband commutes to Chalk River, Ontario and every day he listens to the morning radio. He asked me this morning if I listen to the news, I said no. I simply try to get a summary of the day’s events and not get too much of the details. I’m afraid I’m one of those people that let bad things bother me to no end .He mentioned how up where he is there is hardly any crime and yet there is a murder every day in Ottawa. Well, it’s true, I did hear of one the other day of a very young couple sitting in a car outside a shopping center in Ottawa. I heard the names of the victims and I quickly realized that the brother that shot the sister and boyfriend was of a different faith. Apparently, that was exactly why he shot his sister. She disobeyed their religion by dating someone out of their faith and the brother was told by his father to kill her. What kind of world is this???????? This is why I rather not listen to news….it just hurt too much just hearing about it. Imagine living thru such horrible trauma as the poor Amish people and all the other families of the victims of violence. Unfortunately man has a dark side and we have to deal with that; it will never change in this world. All we can do is have faith in God and pray for all of mankind.
(o)
We are living in a very sad time aren’t we? I’m hoping that by the time my son is old enough to understand the hate this world has been consumed by, that he will never have to hear of such atrocities.
Yes I’m also humbled by their love
Forgiveness first
without question.
Absolutely.
Perfect and rare.
Isn’t that amazing: They don’t balance the hurt with hate? That totally struck me when I read it. What words to live by.
I was in tears re the Amish and the way they are brought up in ‘forgiveness’ a lesson for us all. When I heard the comments made by the pastor watching him tear up made me tear up…his words of “forgiveness” took any kind of rage I had inside away and made perfect sense. I think the Amish have it right in so many ways. Thanks so much for this beaUtiful tribute to them and the way they so peacefully live. xoxo
Yes, I’m in awe of the Amish. the midwife who delivered one of the girls who were murdered said much the same.
They truly live what they believe.
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