ALMOST 10 years ago, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a gunman entered an Amish one-roomed schoolhouse, and shot 10 girls, killing five and finally took his own life.

The shooter lived and worked in the community, and had a loving caring normal upbringing. He was married with a family of his own.

What a terrible tragedy! What good could possibly come from such horror? And yet something profound and amazing did come out of it.

The Amish people did the unimaginable. Whilst suffering their own terrible pain, suffering, grief and sorrow, they reached out to the family of the man who had taken their own children’s lives with comfort, forgiveness and hope – and they did it that same day!

Grief stricken Amish and bewildered family wept together.

This act of grace and forgiveness in the face of terrible loss shown by the Amish community has had an impact that cannot be measured. A decade on and deep, lasting friendships now exist, with mutual support of each other shows the result of that forgiveness.

Forgiveness is what the Amish do, they choose to forgive, not with mere words but they back it up with action. They reach out to those that would harm them rather than allow bitterness, hatred and revenge to enter their lives.

Their forgiveness comes from the God they worship, a God of love, grace and forgiveness.

Forgiveness is what God does.

Because of His amazing love for us and His amazing grace he has chosen to forgive our sins, which is why he took on human form and came into this world.

The result of that choice took Christ to the horror of the cross. It was there that Jesus dealt with our sin, and three days later rose again from the dead!

Through his death and resurrection, he now offers to each one of us forgiveness of all our sins and the free gift of eternal life.

Amish forgiveness and grace spoke powerfully to the world 10 years ago. Christ’s forgiveness and Grace spoke to the world 2,000 years ago.

The question is, does God’s grace and forgiveness speak to us today? As Christians who have experienced His forgiveness and Grace, we say, “YES!”

Your choice: Will you respond to God’s grace and forgiveness, by receiving the living Christ as Saviour, as the family of the killer responded to the forgiveness of the Amish victims’ families, or will you refuse Him?