From childhood I have been fascinated by the Ohio Mennonites and Amish who drive horse and buggies and live so simply. However, I really have never known that much about them except that they make interesting quilts, are good carpenters, dress uniquely and walk gently on the earth. So it was with great interest that I recently read Plain Secrets by Joe Mackall. Through a friendship with the Shetler family, members of the Swartzentruber Amish of Ashland County, Ohio, Mackall has revealed much about this very conservative group. Just as he struggles with understanding the harsh religious practices of shunning and excommunication, so do I. However, the Amish connection with the land and their community generates respect. Of course, I question riding in a buggy without lights or reflectors and refusing to send children to school beyond the eighth grade. Perhaps, the most interesting part of this book is discovering how the English and Amish live or don’t live in harmony. There are life lessons on almost every page. I'm glad I finally decided to discover more about the Amish.
2 comments:
I was reared in Marshallville, Ga. There is a Mennonite community @ 5 miles from town. I had a bicycle and a need to pedal. Consequently,several of the more progressive Mennonite children and I shared a magical swimming hole on late, hot, summer afternoons. Though their swimming attire was more austere and severe than my cut-offs, their explanation of the horse and buggy technology was eloquently simple. If everyone used low tech transportation there would be no inherent danger in that mode of conveyance and no conflict with "Interstaters". I understood from their example of stewardship that the objective was to do no harm, thus, no evil.
There are Mennonite groups in Marshallville, GA and Marshallville, OH. Way cool! There are also several websites that give history etc. of Mennonites and a chat group. A good one is Third Way Cafe. Use the link provided and explore the site. Insights into how individual Mennonites feel about war and other issues become clear. The posted comments reflect the criticism Mennonites face for having all the advantages of different countries without the obligation to defend them.
http://www.thirdway.com/menno/
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