Malcolm Gladwell on Mennonites, Underdogs and Forgiveness

Chris Lenshyn posts

This past summer, author Malcolm Gladwell went to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to connect my wife’s aunt, Wilma Derksen whose daughter was murdered 20+ years ago.  He was exploring the story of the Derksen’s and there particular pursuit of forgiveness.  But in the bigger picture, he was and is wondering ‘where the culture of forgiveness in the Mennonite world comes from.”
Interestingly, Gladwell makes the link between the history of persecution Mennonites have faced and the ability to forgive.
In brief, it is quite true that Mennonites have a propensity for social justice, and within that is a seemingly inherent capacity to forgive.  But deeper still, it must not be forgotten that this ‘capacity to forgive’ is facilitated by the Anabaptist Mennonite spirituality which persistently and consistently pursues the presence of and peace of Christ.
Start watching at the 3:50 mark.  
Where did the Mennonite capacity for forgiveness come from?  Can being entrenched within the devastating experience of persecution have the potential, in the long term, to build something beautiful? -link