Monday, October 16, 2006

Thanksgiving.......

Last night after our fellowship meeting I had a really nice conversation with John and Katheryn about their work at First UMC, what's happening in the broader city, and the various other things that seem to be coming together among Christians on the national and international level. It was an encouraging conversation. During the talk John and Katheryn shared about how amazed they have been at the example of the Amish community in Pennsylvania who have made amazing efforts to come around the family of the man who murdered and maimed many of their children. We agreed that this is an awesome example of mercy, grace, and belief in the power of kindness and compassion to overcome evil and oppression. It is a timely reminder. In our world today there are a great many who have valid concerns about the ill-effects of "western" understandings of civilization, the current course of our consumerist culture, and the ideology of violence that seems to underlie so much of our quest (especially in America) to "secure" our markets, beliefs, and personal lives. And at a time when war both threatens and continues to consume so many precious lives daily, I think it is amazing that we're given such a remarkable example of a simple and obscure people's refusal to repay "evil for evil." Though certainly as human and prone to weakness as the rest of us, the Amish have indeed given us all a gift at a time when we ALL really need it. It is possible to resist the negative influences and corruption of the surrounding culture with peace, love, compassion, and forgiveness. And it is possible, when the "filth" of the world pollutes our homes and communities, to act in a way that makes the hope and promise of another and better world seem possible. So, I give thanks for this wonderful gift, and thanks to John and Katheryn for taking the time to share and consider. I guess that is ultimately the greatest gift of all.

5 comments:

Beth said...

Here in the Boston area, there was a big op-ed article which was very critical of the Amish, saying that the killer did not deserve forgiveness and that by refusing to hate him, the Amish community were essentially saying he'd done nothing wrong and thereby encouraging others to commit violent acts. The author thought in essence that to forgive an "undeserving" person was immoral and could only have bad results. The article really brought home to me how countercultural the Christian worldview is, and how deeply offensive real grace can feel to the natural mind's presumption that us good people "deserve" forgiveness but "those bad people" don't.

billy said...

Beth,

Thanks for sharing-I think that yours is a very good observation about the effects of grace upon those who do not understand it. I wonder if one of the reasons why people lash out at beautiful acts like this is because it is convicting in ways that make them feel very uncomfortable? When people choose to walk the very hard path of forgiveness and mercy it automatically makes us accountable to their actions; we can no longer hide our own moral ineptitude and hate behind the "badness" of others. The evil actions of the few are quite often seized upon to lower the general standards of righteousness for the many. When comparing ourselves to (or villifying) a confused and deranged person like Charles Roberts, it is not hard to appear like a morally upright and concerned person. Jesus, however, does not give us this option; he commands us to love our enemies, knowing that by so doing we will be forced to confront the evil and apathy that resides within all of us. At any rate, a few thoughts.......

Anonymous said...

In birmingham, AL where we are on the brink of the most homicides in our city's history, we could use the same love the Amish showed the family of the killer. It seems the majority of the homicides in the Birmingham are a 'revenge' killing. To repay someone for the evil they have done. To do the work of God. I pray that God uses this (as I know He will) to bring glory to His name.

Anonymous said...

In birmingham, AL where we are on the brink of the most homicides in our city's history, we could use the same love the Amish showed the family of the killer. It seems the majority of the homicides in the Birmingham are a 'revenge' killing. To repay someone for the evil they have done. To do the work of God. I pray that God uses this (as I know He will) to bring glory to His name.

billy said...

Thanks for your comment anonymous...regretfully, murder has been fundamental to the human experience from the very beginning.....cain killing abel get things started and nothing much changes from that point forward-that is, until Jesus opens the door to a different understanding of how we can process conflict and work out disagreements with one another-he shows us a way around violence and retribution, and even equates anger with one another as being equivalent to murder in the light of God's love (Sermon on the Mount). By these standards I am certainly a mass murderer! However, I take hope in Jesus' radical teaching, the example of folks like the Amish who make it real, and in the incredible things that I see going on around me in community as people choose to embrace love by dying to their own desires to be right, to get back, etc. It is our commitment to loving, respecting, and looking out for one another in the smallest details of life that makes murder impossible for us. But, in my opinion, neglecting these things almost makes murder inevitable (whether it be the murder of the spirit, body, or both). It seems like the choice is ours to make. We'll be praying for your city..thanks