One Nurse of 2.9 Milion

One Nurse of 2.9 Milion

One nurse, Ari Mahler, made headlines over the weekend, not because he is one of 2.9 million registered nurses in the US, but because of the way he treated one patient.

Mahler was on duty at Allegheny General Hospital when Robert Bowers allegedly went on a shooting rampage that left eleven people dead. When Bowers was brought to his hospital, the Jewish nurse treated him with grace.

“I didn’t say a word to him about my religion,” Ari wrote on Facebook last Saturday. “I chose not to say anything to him the entire time. I wanted him to feel compassion. I chose to show him empathy. I felt that the best way to honor his victims was for a Jew to prove him wrong.”

Mahler said that his father is a rabbi. He explained his motives for treating Bowers as he did: “Love. That’s why I did it. Love as an action is more powerful than words, and love in the face of evil gives others hope. It demonstrates humanity. It reaffirms why we’re all here.”

“Let your light shine before others”

Events make the news by being unusual. The fact that a story of forgiveness and compassion made this weekend’s headlines says something important about our culture.

We are living in the most politically divisive time I can remember.

According to Pew Research Center, the gap between Democrats and Republicans on ten key social measures has more than doubled since 1994.

A recent study showed that Americans are divided far more widely by identity (our political affiliation) than by ideology (our stands on particular issues).

As the midterms loom and negative ads dominate our airwaves and social media, here’s a powerful way to stand out: stand for God, for He says of Himself that He is love.