Keep Praying

I was listening to the radio as I drove back from work (as is my usual habit) and heard the newscaster talking about the presence of the Amish people at the funeral of the man who had murdered their children and shattered their peaceful little world. I read several articles that described the killer's wife as "deeply moved," and discussed how these families could be so forgiving in the face of such tradgedy. One article began with, "The blood was hardly dry on the bare, board floor of the West Nickel Mines School when Amish parents sent words of forgiveness to the family of the killer who had executed their children." Time and time again newspapers wrote what the rest of the world was feeling. Amazement and wonder were reflected in the voices of newscasters. Those of us who grew up attending church know that forgiveness is the "Christian thing to do" and yet... I wonder if I could do it...
Of all the theories out there on how forgiveness and faith coping mechanisms, I think the writer who summed it up by quoting the sign from a nearby church got closest to the heart of the matter: "Keep praying." Forgiveness is an ongoing process that is not a natural reaction, but a gift from above.