The Power of Innocence

DateLine (10/12/06 – Nanuet, NY)

I’m sure many of you as I did followed the turn of events that took place in American schools over the past few weeks. For a brief moment last week our own community (i.e. Mauldin High and surrounding schools) joined the national story of violence in schools. While it is tragic anytime some deranged gunmen shatters the innocence of one of our schools, the events that played out in the Amish country of Pennsylvania were especially disturbing. Whether we agree with their lifestyle or their theology, the Amish are respected as a hard working, committed, well-intended, and peaceful community. One lone gunman took advantage of their simplicity to storm a one room schoolhouse and foist unimaginable atrocities on the lives of 10 young girls. The story is told that the oldest Amish girl volunteered to be shot first; perhaps motivated to buy time for some of the younger girls. All 10 girls were shot, 5 dead, one not expected to live, and the other four attempting to recover physically but facing a much longer psychological healing. For some reason the images of the solemn processionals of horse and buggies remind Americans of a time in our history not long ago when we all were cocooned in innocence.

If there is a silver lining surrounding the incident, it’s the response of the Amish community to the man who committed the crimes and to his family. One news account struck me as especially poignant. Seems as if a friend and neighbor of the Amish was visiting in the home of one of the families who had been touched by death. The Amish custom is to prepare their love ones in the home for the funeral which is also held in the home. The friend shared that as the mother of the victim was preparing her daughter’s body for burial, “the grandfather was tutoring the young boys, he was making a point, just saying to the family, 'We must not think evil of this man,' " the Rev. Robert Schenck told CNN. "It was one of the most touching things I have seen in 25 years of Christian ministry."

To be honest I cannot imagine being in the place of that family, that grandfather. I will admit that my faith in God and His influence in my life may not be to the level of the grandfather; it should be; I pray that it will be. The elements of this story are incredibly moving. Violence and innocence juxtaposed; delivering maximum impact; all the more significant because this is real people reacting to real evil; not some Hollywood fabrication. If the perpetrator had not taken his own life, I believe that a large majority of Americans would gladly turn their back while the grieving families exacted a measure of revenge; that is the natural reaction.

There is another story told of a similar incident years ago. A corrupt government, egged on by an inflamed crowd, brought an innocent man into a public arena and accused Him falsely, humiliated Him, tortured Him, and finally killed Him in one of the cruelest forms of execution that has ever been devised in a depraved mind. One aspect of this story that makes it even more tragic than the Amish schoolhouse is that His Father had to watch. As life ebbed from His body, the words that revealed the attitude of this Victim was, “Father forgive them.” The forgiveness of the grandfather in the Amish story is powerful, but the young girls were victims of random violence. In the other story, the Victim was a volunteer; He voluntarily took the place of the real culprits.

10 innocent schools girls slaughtered. The innocent Lamb of God slaughtered. Many persons equate innocence with weakness. A gripping aspect of both stories is the power welded by the testimony of the participants.

Pray for the “power of innocence” to indwell your life.