Psalm 4: 8.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Kate was more than a little anxious as Isaac drove her to the bishop. Despite the fact that the bishop knew her true identity, Kate was concerned that the bishop might not be happy with her behavior in the Amish community thus far.
And so it was with some relief on her part that the bishop greeted her happily, and appeared to be genuinely pleased to see her. Isaac drove off in his buggy at once, and the bishop’s wife, Martha, promised to take Kate home later.
Kate followed the bishop and his wife inside, thankful that she could let her guard down for a while. Martha at once disappeared in the direction of the kitchen, and the bishop indicated that Kate should sit on a chair opposite him.
“How are you finding it all?” he asked.
Kate smiled. “Well, it’s very different to what I imagined. I do miss the internet, TV, and my phone, but I’m kept so busy helping Beth with the chores that I wouldn’t have much time for them anyway. I hope no one suspects that I’m not Amish.”
The bishop shook his head. “There are various Amish communities, and all of them with different ways. The fact that you’re supposed to be from another community in another state throws any suspicion off you.”
Martha chose that moment to return. “I supposed you’re used to hot meadow tea by now, Katie,” she said, as she deposited two steaming mugs on the little round table.
“Yes, I’ve developed quite a liking for it,” Kate said. “I like peppermint and I like sugar, so this tea’s ideal for me. I’ll have to get the recipe so I can keep making it when I leave.” When I leave. The words caused a heavy lump to nestle in the bottom of Kate’s stomach. How long was she going to stay here, trapped in an Amish community? It was like going back in time, to another era.
Martha chuckled. “It sounds like this pie will be ideal for you, too. It’s Sugar Cream Pie.” She scooped up a generous serving of the pie and deposited it on a plate, which she handed to Kate, and then cut a noticeably smaller piece for her husband. With that, Martha left the room, leaving Kate to talk to the bishop.
Kate looked at her slice of pie and her mouth watered at the sight of the baked whipped cream with cinnamon on top. The pastry was simply delectable. One thing about the Amish, Kate thought, they are superb cooks and you can’t fault their work ethic.
“Now, it must have been quite a shock for you to find Mr. Byler like that,” the bishop said.
Kate looked at him. She wondered for a moment if he was playing along with her cover, but then realized that he was a man of God, after all. Surely she could turn to him for help and advice, even though she herself wasn’t actually Amish.
“Yes, it was,” she said. “Do you have any idea who would want to, err, do away with Mr. Byler?”
The bishop shook his head. “Nee, we leave that up to the police.”
Kate nodded, realizing that she would be unable to question the bishop about suspects. There was silence for a moment, and then Kate spoke. “There’s something I’d like to ask you, if I may.”
The bishop nodded by way of granting permission.
“Would you mind explaining to me explain the Amish attitude to death? It seems that no one’s concerned with finding out what happened to Mr. Byler, and while people appear sorry that he’s gone, no one is paying too much attention to the matter.”
“We are followers of Christ,” the bishop said, “and that means we sometimes suffer, just as Christ suffered for us. You haven’t been here long enough to come to one of our church meetings yet but when you do, you will hear songs sung from the Ausbund. Do you know what the Ausbund is?”
Kate had to admit that she didn’t.
“Most of the hymns in the Ausbund were written by men under sentence of death,” the bishop continued. “They believed in adult baptism, and for this, many were imprisoned and then put to death. So then, many of the words of the hymns tell of deep loneliness and great sorrow. Jesus suffered, so we should be willing to suffer.”
Kate thought for a moment. “So does such a belief take away the pain of sorrow?”
“Yes and no,” the bishop said. “Everything that happens is the will of Gott, and there is comfort in that. If one of our loved ones goes to be with the Lord, we know that person is in a better place, with Gott.”
“I did notice that the whole community rallied around for Mr. Byler’s funeral,” Kate said.
The bishop nodded. “Always remember, Kate, that Gott is love, and so, for us death holds no fear.”
This was a foreign concept to Kate, and she sat silently as she tried to understand. It was clear that the Amish had a strong sense of community, and they also appeared to be content. Yet why didn’t they care who killed Mr. Byler? Kate decided just to come straight out and ask.
“Forgive me if this isn’t the sort of question I should be asking,” she said, “but why aren’t you interested in the identify of Mr. Byler’s killer? Don’t you want to be reassured that he will be found and brought to justice?’
The bishop smiled patiently. “It is not up to man to judge,” he said. “Rather, it is up to Gott to judge. Our duty is simply to forgive. The Bible says, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us. The Bible also says, If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
“I know those verses,” Kate said, “but is that meant for today?”
“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Kate supposed that was the bishop’s way of saying Yes. “So does that mean that you don’t judge someone who has done something terrible?”
“More than that,” the bishop said. “We are to love our enemies. The Bible says, If your enemy is hungry, give him food; if your enemy is thirsty, give him drink.”
Kate’s eyes narrowed. She thought about the man who was responsible for her having to go into hiding. If he was hungry, would she feed him? Certainly not. She could think of many things she’d like to do to him, and none of them involved giving him a drink or some food. How do these people do it? Kate wondered.