In line with the last post on the issues that face Iraq, I was reminded about this article that speaks about what it would be like if the Amish were put in charge of the War on terror. It demands that we thank about our response to Islam and terror and what Jesus would be calling us to live out in this world as His response. I guess it is not WWJD (What would Jesus do) but WWJHUD (What would Jesus have us do).
Despite attempts to avoid this particular news, the stories of the Amish practice of forgiveness eventually captivated me. Their practice of forgiveness unfolded in four public acts over the course of a week. First, some elders visited Marie Roberts, the wife of the murderer, to offer forgiveness. Then, the families of the slain girls invited the widow to their own children’s funerals. Next, they requested that all relief monies intended for Amish families be shared with Roberts and her children. And, finally, in an astonishing act of reconciliation, more than 30 members of the Amish community attended the funeral of the killer...
What if, on the evening of Sept. 12, 2001, we had gone to Osama bin Laden’s house (metaphorically, of course, since we didn’t know where he lived!) and offered him forgiveness? What if we had invited the families of the hijackers to the funerals of the victims of 9/11? What if a portion of The September 11th Fund had been dedicated to relieving poverty in a Muslim country? What if we dignified the burial of their dead by our respectful grief?
What if, instead of seeking vengeance, we had stood together in human pain, looking honestly at the shared sin and sadness we suffered? What if we had tried to make peace?
Click the link at the bottom to read the full article. We really do need to be salt of the earth, making life better to live here not worse!
Source: God's Politics - Jim Wallis blog, faith blog, religion, Christian, Christianity, politics, values
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