Learning from the Amish

I spent the weekend in Amish country, in Newburg, Pennsylvania. Our family has spent quite a few of the past 10 Mother's Day weekends gathering here on the land where my wife's maternal ancestors have lived for the past century or so. Each year on the Saturday before Mother's Day the local Christian school operated by the Amish community organizes a large auction - selling everything from new and used farm and garden tools to beautiful flowering baskets and herbs, to horses, buggies, homemade food like doughnuts, ice cream, soft pretzels, mouth-watering seasoned barbequed chicken, and culminating in a hundred or so hand-crafted quilts and other art.

So after a day of sharing space, buying stuff, farm and country smells, delicious food and craftsmanship ranging from quilting to auctioneering, alongside perhaps 600 Amish and 400 non-Amish folks, I have been wondering about this cultural and faith tradition and trying to piece together an adequate critique and appreciation based on my own tradition within the historic Reformed branch of Protestantism. *disclaimer - I actually know very little about contemporary or historic Amish faith commitments - most of my thoughts are rooted in observation and a loose story line about the Amish. I came away from this past weekend wondering also how to make friends within this tradition who can enlighten me...

A big part of me is jealous, I'll start with that. The Amish community I observe in Newburg has preserved a simplicity of life (or so it appears to me) that my own tradition has long since given up. Not that the Amish life is easier, far from it - in terms of actual work, I'm sure it is much more difficult to complete the tasks of living required by Amish commitments. But not having to think about redeeming new technology, or not having to keep up with a flood of email and cell phone and a variety of forms of popular culture, not to mention the array of worship styles and theological issues that continue to manifest themselves in my tradition, this appears to me as a blessing. Ironically, the contemporary discussion around local food, fair trade economics, organic eating, and general awareness of how justice and consumption link - these all point to the wisdom of the Amish in preserving a local and a simple lifestyle.

And yet. When I think about the reach of a place like Calvin College through the very murky and complex work of doing higher education with an unwavering commitment to engagement with culture and embrace of historic Christianity, I think of what would be lost without this messy engagement. For now, I'm glad for the reminders I get from my Amish brothers and sisters, and I'll continue to wish for a stronger dialogue between our two traditions.