Reverting….

Hundreds of years of self denial have trained them to respond this way. Hundreds of years of piety. Significant training and self awareness.

Over the weekend the Amish community and individuals responded to the killing of their little girls in a manner befitting followers of Christ.

They hugged the father of the killer. They supported the families of the victims, all the while taking up an offering for the family of the murderer.

Rather than shun the shooter’s family and lash out with condemnation, the Amish in the community have embraced the shooter’s wife and three children.

Instead of allowing bitterness to overwhelm them, they have chosen forgiveness.

When faced with perhaps one of their darkest hours…they reverted to what they knew best…the image of God.

How many people could have done the same?

Over the weekend Charles Roberts was laid to rest in his wife's family plot- not far from the Amish school. More than half the mourners at Robert’s funeral were Amish.