Plain and Simple

My first glimpse of the Amish was nearly four decades ago, near Wooster, Ohio, while visiting my grandparents. Their clean, uncluttered farms, simple dress, unhurried buggies, and breathtaking antique quilts have captivated me ever since.

After reading a book excerpt on a laniersbooks recent post, I was compelled to reread Plain and Simple by Sue Bender. Mrs. Bender temporarily lived in the homes of two different Amish families (something I very much wanted to do as a teenager), and wrote a book about her impressions of this experience.

I am going to set aside debate on some of the theological beliefs and practices of the Amish. And although I find Mrs. Bender a bit self-absorbed and unappreciative of her gracious hosts, I found some of her observations to be interesting. There are some truths here from which we can benefit.

"Everything was a ritual...No distinction was made between the sacred and the everyday.
Five minutes in the early morning and five minutes in the evening were devoted to prayer. The rest of the day was spent living their beliefs. Their life was all one piece. It was all sacred--and all ordinary."

"Their work time isn't spent 'in order to do something else'--to have free time on weekends...[they find satisfaction] in the daily mastery of whatever they are doing."

"All [Emma's] duties were an expression of her love for her family and for God."

"They lived with a short cord and lived fully, while I had a long cord and was always tripping over it."