Thoughts From Donald B. Kraybill

Dear Friends,

If there is anything I have discovered in my years as a pastor, it is that as sinners we love to receive grace from God, but we struggle big-time to extend that same type of grace to others. We want it, but we don’t want to give it. In this regard, today’s entry challenges us. Books have been written about it. Movies were made about it – because true acts of grace (that reflect God’s grace to us) really are that rare (Romans 5:1-11).

This story comes from the book, “Fifty Miracles of Grace” and is actually taken from the foreword written by Donald B. Kraybill. I can’t wait to read the 50 stories in the book, “many stemming from the same Anabaptist stream of faith birthed in the 1500s in the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation.” The anabaptist tradition is known for taking the sayings of Jesus literally (some have said too literally). Anabaptists are prone to believe Jesus really meant is when He said, "Love your enemies,” and “turn the other cheek,” and “if someone takes your shirt, give them your coat as well,” and if a Roman soldier forced you to carry his 70+ pound rucksack a mile (which it was legal for him to do), offer to carry it two (Matthew 5:38-48).

Most people who read those verses say, “Jesus didn’t really mean that…” The anabaptists tend to believe He did. It’s called showing grace to those who don’t deserve it. It’s what God shows us and what we are to show others because He showed it to us. All too often we are more than happy to receive it, yet struggle (if not refuse) to give it to others. I hope the events of this story (which captured the attention of the whole nation when it happened) challenge you to consider that Jesus may really have meant what he said. Enjoy.

When Grace Walks in the Door
“I confess. I had never really grappled with the notion of grace until October 2, 2006. Sure, I knew the words to ”Amazing Grace” by memory. I knew grace was a gift from God, but I'd never seen it so vividly until the aftermath of the day Charlie walked into a one-room Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania and shot 10 young girls — killing five of them and inflicting the rest with life threatening injuries. Charlie then took his own life at the scene.

Moments of compassion and forgiveness soon graced that horrific day as members of the Amish community reached out to Charlie's distraught family who are not Amish. Seven hours after the shooting Charlie's mother saw an Amish neighbor whom she called “our Angel in black walk,” at their front door. For over an hour, the neighbor kept repeating “we love you.” The mother’s pastor described it this way: “Grace walked through the door and with grace, came hope.”

About the same time, a few miles away, grace walked through the door at the home of Charlie's widow and her parents as three Amish men arrived to offer words of love, forgiveness, and kindness. Grace also touched down at Charlie's burial when dozens of Amish people — including parents who had buried their own children a day or so before — hugged Charlie's widow and other family members. As surprised as everyone else, the funeral director noted in awe, “I witnessed a miracle today.” Amish people also brought food and flowers to Charlie's home and contributed funds for his family. There were few words from Amish lips. It was mostly hugs, gifts, and presence — acts of grace — that communicated their forgiveness. The father of one of the slain girls explained, “Our forgiveness was not our words, it was what we did.”

…After the shooting at Nickel Mines, I interviewed more than three dozen Amish people in preparation to co-author Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy. I asked each person, “What motivated you to forgive?” Without exception they turned to the Lord's prayer: “Forgive us as we forgive others.” They also noted other New Testament scriptures that underscore the stark adage: “Forgive and you will be forgiven." In the Anabaptist Christian tradition forgiveness has two dimensions. It is indeed a gift from God, but it expects that we will not hoard it, but indeed will pass it on to those who injure and harm us.

As a faith group, the Amish stay out of sync with popular culture, but in their separation from a world that applauds the right to revenge, the Amish have shown us a different shade of grace. Innumerable other unsung heroes of 'the Jesus’ way' give quiet, daily witness to the power of forgiveness and the wonderment of grace. Such are the stories found in this book, many stemming from the same Anabaptist stream of faith birthed in the 1500s in the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation.

The paradox of grace is that it doesn't come in mono-color. Sometimes it drops in by surprise — an unexpected gift from God. Other times it arrives in the midst of sorrow and pain, and still again it flutters into our lives in a time of joy. Sometimes the gift of grace is the fruit of seasoned preparation — a cultivated habit. Other times we find it in the midst of healing and reconciliation. Nevertheless, one thing is clear: grace is not always cheap and easy, but whenever it arrives, hope comes along as God's Spirit visits the drab crevices and dry seasons of our lives.”

Yes or no? Was Jesus telling His followers to do things He never wanted nor expected them to do? Or was He calling His followers to a way of life so radical it would capture the attention of the world, because it’s impossible for anyone not to see that God had to be behind such other-worldly responses?

In Scripture we are encouraged to, “Do unto others as we would have them do unto us” (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31). This, of course, goes without saying. But we often forget there is also another frequently repeated theme in Scripture: We are to love others in the same way GOD has loved/graced/shown mercy to us. (Matthew 5:43-45, John 13:34-35, Matthew 6:12, Ephesians 4:32…)

For me personally, the actions of the Amish in the aftermath of that school shooting were one of the most inspiring ‘sermons’ I have heard/seen in a long, long, long… time.

Living in His All-sufficient Grace, Pastor Jeff