The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World

by Donald B. Kraybill

At the crux of it, Amish people are convinced that forgiving is the way to respond to evil because Jesus commanded it. Time and again, they point to the Lord’s Prayer and its words about forgiveness, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12), as the reason to forgive. They point out that forgiveness is the only part of the prayer that Jesus underscores, telling his disciples, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15). Theologians in other Christian traditions may debate the interpretation of these words, but to the Amish, the meaning is clear. “In order for God to forgive us, we must forgive our fellow men,” the Family Life writer asserts. “If we do choose to be cold and unforgiving to others we should omit part of the familiar Lord’s Prayer when we pray, because we are really asking God to grant us the same unforgiveness we are giving others. We are not worthy of God’s forgiveness if we don’t forgive others!”