Book review: Amish Grace

On October 2nd, 2006, we were all shocked and horrified at the news that a man in Pennsylvania had barricaded himself into a one-room schoolhouse with ten Amish schoolgirls, lined them up on the floor and shot each one in the head. Five girls died. Five survived. The man then turned the gun on himself, committing suicide as police stormed the building.

The public’s disgust at this heinous crime turned to amazement as reports began to circulate about how the Amish community was dealing with the tragedy. Although the Amish themselves were extremely reticent to speak to the press, tales began surfacing of how they were responding in completely unexpected ways. For example:

• Within hours of the shooting, Amish leaders sought out and consoled the family of the gunman (who was not Amish).
• According to survivors the eldest of the victims, 13 year old Marian Fisher, had told the gunman “Shoot me first”, probably in hopes of buying the other girls more time and to set an example for them of how to die courageously.
• More than half of the attendees at the gunman’s funeral were Amish friends and relatives of the victims.
• As donations poured in from around the world, the Amish decided that a portion should go towards providing for the wife and children of the gunman.
• Almost immediately, the Amish, including the parents of the slain and wounded girls, expressed their forgiveness towards the gunman.

Donald Kraybill, a senior fellow at the Young Center of Elizabethtown College and author of numerous books about the Amish, was at the scene within hours of the crime and worked as a liaison between the Amish and the press.

Kraybill, along with Steven Nolt and David Weaver-Zercher – both college professors and experts on Amish culture – have written a book that not only details the events surrounding the schoolhouse shooting, but also allows us to look beyond the subcultural trappings of buggies, beards, black hats and bonnets to see a people who are courageously gentle, earnestly devout and very human. The book, entitled Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy, provides rich insights into how the Amish were able to respond so quickly and in a way that dumbfounded the world.

The book is divided into three parts:

Part One chronicles the events themselves: the shooting, its aftermath and the reactions of both the Amish and the general public.

Part Two provides a look at Amish history, theology and culture and highlights how forgiveness is central to the Amish way of life.

Part Three delves deeper into the meaning of forgiveness as contrasted with similar concepts of pardon and reconciliation. The Amish practice of “shunning” is examined to see if it is contradictory or complementary to forgiveness. Lastly, the authors explore what lessons we outsiders can learn and apply from the Amish, while making it clear that much of the secret of Amish grace comes from the culture in which they are so deeply rooted: a culture which most of us would find far too constraining on our personal freedoms.

I found Amish Grace to be a profoundly moving book. I literally consumed it from cover to cover while on a cross-country flight, having to stop periodically to compose myself and wipe away tears. The authors write in a style that is sensitive and avoids sensationalism. The book, like the Amish themselves, is thoughtful, frank, fair, understated and challenging. Above all, it is inspiring.

For more information: http://www.amishgrace.com