Remembering forgiveness

A made-for-TV film about the 2006 schoolhouse killings of five girls in the Nickel Mines Amish community is set to air at the end of the month. While the Anabaptist perspective can offer many criticisms of the film, one that stands out is that it reportedly depicts the media as skeptical of the forgiveness offered by the Amish community.

Last weekend I had the chance to reflect on forgiveness as I scrubbed egg off of our front door on a wintery Chicago morning. As my hands got colder, it became easier to imagine all the ways my housemates and I could carry out our revenge on the perpetrator, should we ever encounter him or her. Perhaps our own stockpile of eggs could come in handy.

Then I recalled some of the articles I have come across recently in my archiving work for Mennonite Weekly Review. Articles about the Amish community that forgave the murderer of their daughters, sisters, nieces and granddaughters. Articles about the Schrock family, conservative Mennonites who lost their five children in a car crash and who had the grace to forgive the driver of the other vehicle.

None of us hope to face a grave tragedy that would present the opportunity to offer such weighty and difficult forgiveness to an offender. These great examples of forgiveness can serve to remind us that we are called to forgive the smaller offenses, like eggs thrown at our door, as well. That forgiveness, though it can be difficult to offer, is transformative and healing for offender and victim alike. We have seen that in the Nickel Mines community and the Schrock family.

After I had finished cleaning the door, and my fingers had thawed, my housemates and I were discussing our plan of action should the eggs on our door become a common occurrence. Trying to emulate that transformative forgiveness, we came up with a plan. We’ll post a sign inviting the owner of the eggs bring them inside, and we will add some of our own and prepare a meal to share.