Jill and I just watched The Amish: A People of Preservation. There are no large explosions or well-known actors, but we liked it a lot.
Some of the things we were very attracted to because we’ve been thinking a lot lately about community living. The Amish seem to have a lot of the qualities we admire in people or are actively striving to assimilate, such as:
1) They place the community above themselves. They work together and have fun doing it. They try to avoid everything that leads to selfishness and pride. It’s like what communism is supposed to be like!
2) The Amish are simple and don’t need computers, TV, internet, cell phones, cars, radios, or even electricity to have fun. This is done intentionally to avoid becoming too worldly. Despite this, most of them interact with the world a lot, use phones, public transportation, and other machines. They just choose to avoid being wrapped up in them at home.
3) They worship God in their homes/barns and don’t have special, expensive church buildings. Neat.
4) They really, really care about each other. If a barn burns down, the community will have one up – the next day. They are really nice, loving people who would drop everything if a neighbor needs something.
5) They try to live out principles from the Bible. Sure, other Christians may find fault with some of their interpretations and methods. But they live out their convictions generation after generation. Do we?
Their lifestyle reminds me of this verse:
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands…” -1 Thessalonians 4:11
Leave a Reply