Sunday, July 31, 2005
Quilt Making
In Ohio where I grew up, the Amish are known for their wonderful quilts. These quilts also reflect who they are. The Amish use a single word, Gemee, to describe one of the most important aspects of their daily and religious life. Gemee is a dialect form of a German word that means community, communion and fellowship of all members of a faith. This strong sense of community and spiritual unity and the sense of group’s importance over the individual is intrinsic to Amish life. It is not possible to separate how one lives from what one believes, nor is it possible to be separate from the community if one is obedient. It is within this community that the women agree upon the guidelines that affect the design or colors of their quilts. The Amish value the community voice more highly than individual preference. What wonderful imagery when reflecting on what the Church is called to be!
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I have just completed a study of "Lord, Teach Us", a reflection on The Lord's Prayer". In it we were reminded that we are taught to pray "OUR Father", "Give US this day OUR daily bread", "Forgive US OUR trepasses", etc. We are called into community, the church, the body of Christ. How sad that the governmental and economic systems of this country lift up the rights and the achievements of the individual to be supreme. Even the history of our founding is interpreted as demanding allegience to the individual and not the community.
Thank you for lifting up some of the less traditional perspectives such as Celtic Christianity and the values of the Amish. There is much that can inform our spirituality if we are willing to broaden our search.
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