Demons

I don't know how you felt about the current tragedy at the Amish one room schoolhouse...but there is much discussion about what made a man (from the reports who would seem to be a good father and husband)go into a schoolroom of innocents and do what he did to them.

Since I'm in the middle of the book of Matthew - Jesus is going around casting out demons from people...the connection is easily made for me that this was not a "normal" spirit having a human experience but one of the "fallen third" coaching a spirit having a human experience. I'm starting to believe that acts like this are perpertrated upon especially folks like the Amish (who day by day work hard to follow Gods word in the way that they believe is right) this by the devil himself.

But on the other side, I am also convinced that God uses these events for his own purpose. Have you seen the Amish and English praying side by side? Do you realize that the Amish have already forgiven the murderer and his family? There is indeed a lesson there for all of us. Even the English are marveling at the Amish capacity for nonviolence and forgiveness. These are the values that Jesus taught - the ones that so many of us struggle with. One Amish fellow on the news said rather straightforwardly that "if we were to hold on to the anger and pain of this - where would we be in our realtionship with God? We trust that God will carry us thru this extermely difficult time". You know what? I absolutely believe him - and long for that kind of peace. That kind of Grace and Peace is what I believe Jesus offers.

So making any further comment about the man who did this, is irrelevant. He has probably sealed his own fate - indicating in his notes his hate for God. The best thing is though, that God will come out a winner even in this tragedy. The Amish and the English will grow closer/try to understand each faith better/and hopefully both draw closer to God.

My sympathies and prayers to the community and for the families of the children.