I have to admit that I haven't cried about the news in a long time. In days when boys and girls are dying- multiples at a time- every day, news about Iraq are read more like stats from a football game. But yesterday on my way home, I cried hearing about the shooting in Pennsylvania. So many things about this story bring tears to my eyes. I morn for the families of the students, for the community, for the teacher. I morn for the fact that people can walk into a school and kill innocent children. Right after he dropped off his own. Execution style. How could anyone think that these children deserved to be executed. A one room schoolhouse. Siblings together. Brothers leave, sisters stay.
I cried for these families. I also cried for the fear of the state of the world. For all the children sitting in classrooms around the country scared of every stranger that enters the building. For the teachers who didn't know they were being called to such a dangerous occupation. For the fear of my unborn children sitting in classrooms yet to come.
But how do the Amish morn? A report on NPR stated that though they reject many modern advances such as television and radio, the Amish receive help from the mental health community. There were psychologists onhand yesterday as the community gathered together. They were concerned about their own families. They wanted to know what to say to their children.
They also wanted to know what they could do for the victim's family.
They wanted to take his wife and children food.
They wanted to take the wife of the man, who was not Amish, who had just killed their children food.
They had already forgiven him and wanted to know how they could help them.
How do the Amish morn? They hug their children. They cry.
And then they forgive.
