Forgiven recounts the events of October 2, 2006, and the Nickel Mines Schoolhouse shooting in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Forgiveness is at the heart of the Gospel -- that God, in Jesus Christ, goes to the greatest lengths to forgive God's enemies. And what's more: Christians, then, love others -- even our enemies -- as a testament to that Gospel. Forgiveness, in other words, is the Christian practice of the difference Jesus makes in our lives. And the Amish know and practice this forgiveness in a way that stuns the world after the events of October 2, 2006.
What makes Forgiven even more compelling is that this story is told from the vantage of one of those most in need of that forgiveness that brings wholeness -- the shooter's family (in particular, Terri is the mother of the shooter). Terri and Chuck Roberts were well-known, well-loved and well-respected in their community and their church. But their lives changed on that day. From their despair, anguish and grief, through trying to understand and make sense of the tragedy and then working to try to bring about healing for their community and family, Teri looks at what forgiveness really means for those extending it and for those receiving it in this little book.
The book itself is a real page-turner. I couldn't put it down once I'd started reading. Because Roberts is able to bring readers into the very crux of the matter -- that forgiveness is more than some vague idea of letting the past go. It's the very real practices -- the choice we make day in and day out -- to embrace the other qua other, and seek the wholeness that God envisions for all creation in their particular lives.
So at the end of the day, Forgiven is more than a story. It's a call to the larger Church to extend that forgiveness to others -- even those who would kill us -- in our every word and act. That's what really makes Forgiven so compelling. It's more than just a book. It's a way of life that has flesh and blood embodying that life.
Which really shouldn't surprise us. Because that's the way God made known forgiveness in the first place -- through the flesh and blood of a man who forgave his enemies and brought peace to those who killed him.
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I received this free book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review here.