Forgiveness is a virtue that people need to have to maintain peace in the world. At one point or another, people will come face to face with occasions when other people wrong them. If we allow anger and revenge to cloud our judgment, we will end up fighting all the time. Shedding blood will be the order of the day. People will hold grudge against each other, and unity among members of a community will be jeopardized. In this regard, people have to learn to forgive each other. However, the Amish people have a different way of forgiving those who wrong them.
Usually, people who have been wronged will pour out their anger on those who offend them immediately the mistake has been done. After some time, the insulted people will slowly come to terms with reality and then forgive their enemies. For the Amish people, this is not the case. First, they forgive a, nd then go through the emotional process of accepting the truth. It is important to note that the immediate forgiveness of the enemy does not mean that the Amish will let the perpetrators of crime go free. No, they will still like to see people held responsible for their actions.
I should state here that I agree with the Amish mode of forgiveness. To begin with, the Bible teaches people to integrate forgiveness into our lives. We should forgive our enemies even before they offend us. On the same note, the Bible insists that one should forgive his or her enemies countlessly and unconditionally. When one of them was sprayed with bullets and murdered, the Amish people declared their forgiveness even before the end of the day. This can be interpreted to mean that they had already forgiven the perpetrator even before he executed his heinous deeds. Similarly, by making forgiveness a routine as the Amish people have done, one can let go even the crimes that other people find difficult to forget. Ordinarily, people have categorized crimes into various groups, and there are those groups that people do not forgive easily if they do at all.
Moreover, the Amish philosophy of forgiveness requires that one should forgive first and then go through the emotional process of coming to terms with what happened. Forgiveness does not just entail the physical process but also presents the emotional and psychological processes of healing. If the mind has not let go of the issues that happened, one will always remember the perpetrator in the wrong way, and this will deter the emotional process. On the other hand, if the mind lets go of the events that took place, then the emotional healing becomes easier. Consequently, the way the Amish people forgive those who wrong them ensures that they do not suffer emotionally for long. Holding onto what one considers as bad events will elongate the process of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Other people will argue that the person who is on the wrong way should ask for forgiveness. But let us think for a second, does it mean that one has to ask for forgiveness? If we allow ourselves to follow this route, then our forgiveness will be conditional, and this will be against the fundamental essence of forgiveness. Forgiveness has all to do with the offended person and minimal to do with the perpetrator of the wrongful act. As a result, the person who is wronged is the one to decide when to initiate the forgiveness process. The sooner the process is initiated, the easier it will be. The Amish people forgive those who wrong them immediately, and this eases the process for them.
Additionally, forgiveness frees one’s mind and reduces psychological torment that one could go through if he or she keeps the grudge. As long as one has not forgiven a person who insulted him or her, the issue will keep on lingering in his or her mind causing discomfort. On the same note, keeping grudges for whatever time brings about enmity in the community. Moreover, our happiness depends on how and when we want to be happy. Supporting this idea reduces our chances of being a happy while, at the same time, increasing hatred and bitterness in our hearts. In this regard, the Amish people choose to free their minds as soon as possible. They also choose to be happy in their souls rather than holding onto a grudge. Even when they are grieved, they let go what they can and deal with what remains. Happiness is a personal initiative, and they choose to have it.
Forgiveness should be a habit. Making it conditional will mean that there are occasions when we do not have to forgive. It is within our capacity to forgive or not to forgive, and this will affect our relationship with others. Unless we learn to forgive unconditionally, the revenge will be the order of the day. Nonetheless, the Amish people have a philosophy of forgiving before they are asked, and this makes them happy.