I found myself weeping...

Maybe I am getting sentimental in my old age but I came across something that made me cry involuntarily during the week. It was to do with the terrible murders of Amish school girls in Lancaster county in the US.

It was not the senseless waste of five innocent lives by a poor, twisted individual, tragic and worthy of tears although that is, it was the story that members of Amish community had opened an account and were requesting donations from within their community for the family of the murderer.

Although the Amish live a form of voluntary simplicity there are probably many aspects of Anabaptist belief which I would not agree with (their rejection of technology, for example) but this act shows that some of them at least have a clear perspective and an admirable understanding of what is really important. Rather than using this tragedy to reject others and justify revenge, they used their own suffering to connect with and reach out to the suffering of others. Whatever religious or secular belief system you hold, if it cannot do this it is not worth following.

I found myself weeping with gratitude that such people exist in the world.