1 The authors use the first-person plural (we) as their collective voice. Although each author received many media queries in the days following the shooting, the on-site observations at Nickel Mines on Tuesday, October 3, 2006, are those of Donald B. Kraybill.
2 Die Botschaft (The News) is one of several Amish correspondence newspapers. These publications consist of letters written in English by “scribes” (correspondents) who describe recent events in their local areas.
3 As we point out in Chapter Ten, some forgiveness scholars think that forgiveness should be unconditional, not dependent on the remorse or repentance of the wrongdoer. In their view, forgiveness is entirely the victim’s choice. This view of forgiveness means making a clear distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation, the latter of which requires good-faith efforts by both the victim and the offender.
4 A lectionary is a yearlong calendar of biblical texts used in public worship. Many Christian traditions use lectionaries, though the texts may vary from one theological tradition to another.
5 The Ordnung, which provides proscriptions and prescriptions for Amish living, applies to dress, recreation, technology, and many other issues. It changes slowly and is reaffirmed twice a year by a vote of the members of each church district.
6 Districts hold services every other Sunday, so the first and third Sundays of the communion season are “off-Sundays.” On the first off-Sunday, Amish families stay at home and read Matthew 18 in preparation for Council Meeting; on the second off-Sunday (the third Sunday of communion season), families read scripture passages in preparation for Communion Sunday.
7 In recent years, some Amish communities have enlisted the help of outsiders to confront the problem of domestic and sexual abuse. One Amish publisher has distributed nine thousand copies of a resource book titled Strong Families, Safe Children, which provides guidance on recognizing and reporting instances of abuse. Written by social service professionals, the book’s publication indicates the desire of some Amish to address the issue more effectively.