The philosophy “To err is human, to forgive divine”
is gently filtered through the story written by Johann Christoph Arnold and told with quiet dignity by NYC Det. Steven McDonald, who lives daily with the consequences of violence administered by children. They shared their message entitled Breaking the Cycle with the students of Riverhead High School, who listened quietly and respectfully and then gave the two a standing ovation.

Det. McDonald’s message of forgiveness, in the face of the unforgivable, drew author Johann Christoph Arnold, a leader in the Bruderhof Community in Rifton, New York to travel to NYC to meet Officer McDonald. The Bruderhof (which means place of brothers) is a faith-based community that sprang up after World War I in Germany. During the 1930s, Nazi persecution forced the Bruderhof community to resettle in England and it now has communities in New York and Pennsylvania. The members of this community are committed to working for peace, reconciliation and social justice.

Mr. Arnold wrote a book entitled Why Forgive?. He based the book on a quote from Alan Paton: “There is a hard law . . . when an injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive.” His book illustrates that belief. While he was writing this book, he read a newspaper story about NYC police detective Steven McDonald, a young detective of 29, who forgave his assailant, a young man of just 15, who along with two other boys even younger, shot Steve McDonald three times, once in the head and then again in the throat and the abdomen as Det. McDonald lay on the ground looking up at him. The attack left this young police officer from New York, who was soon to be a father, paralyzed from the neck down. His son, Connor, is now 16 years old—almost the same age as his attacker and about the same age as the students he and Mr. Arnold addressed at RHS.

The two have been carrying their message of forgiveness and healing to high schools and other communities where violence and retribution can leave scars of discord. They began to speak together after the student violence at Columbine and recently spoke to the students at Mepham High School. In April 2003 they spoke at Hampton Bays and by the end of the year, they will have spoken to over 26 schools throughout the nation.

As explained on the Community's website (http://www.breakingthecycle.us/btc/index.htm), "in their presentation Breaking the Cycle and in the books they give to the students, Mr. Arnold and Mr. McDonald underscore the efforts of principals and teachers to counteract school violence by proactively addressing its most common roots: bullying, gossip, racism, and other forms of intolerance. As part of the program, free books on overcoming fear and prejudice, nurturing forgiveness, and related themes are offered to participating students. By addressing these problematic roots of school violence-gossip, bullying, peer pressure, and racism-assemblies like Breaking the Cycle attempt to generate self-respect and respect for others-both keys to school safety."

The assembly is just one part of multifaceted proactive program by the school, coordinated by K-12 Violence Prevention Specialist Theresa Drozd, that proactively promotes building a school community which endorses the individuality of each of its students and works to keep the school a safe harbor of learning and personal growth.

In the first of the two assemblies, guests from the community at large: Assemblywoman Pat Acompora and local politicians and community leaders flanked the speakers. Their presence emphasized their commitment to maintaining safe communities.

In the second assembly, through their supportive presence on stage, student members of the school’s new Council for Unity gave voice to their own message of unity, respect for each individual in the midst of diversity and the importance of sustaining peace in this their place of learning. Sitting along side these two men, who brought a message of forgiveness and hope to their school community, the Council members gave voice to their own efforts at creating unity and opposing violence.

“What would you do if violence were to strike you unexpectedly?” asked Johann Christoph Arnold. “We’re here to encourage you to stand against violence and on the side of forgiveness.”

“I have never regretted my decision to forgive this young man,” echoed Detective McDonald. “I regret that he lost his own life in a motorcycle accident shortly after his release from detention before we could meet again.”

Theirs is a message worth voicing, especially in this time of violence, terrorism and war. As the song says, "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."

Photos: (top) reception before the assembly, (center two) at the assembly, (bottom) student members of the Council for Unity on stage with speakers