A Month in the Life

AMISH DOLLS

I have observed tourists come into communities of “Plain People” hoping to get a glimpse of a life that is seemingly a world apart from their own. The attraction is more than a nostalgic longing for the ‘good old days’ with an absence of modern conveniences, and is often primarily focused on the Amish/Mennonite people themselves. The intrinsic desire to find that curiosity behind the beard and beneath the hat is rarely satisfied by a drive through a community.

Lancaster County, PA. the heart of Amish Country, has become a major tourist attraction. Spurred on by a generation of entrepreneurial Amish, who market wares from hand crafted swing sets to hand stitched quilts and, of course, those faceless Amish dolls.

Son of Man

Commenting on his 1964 “Son of Man” painting, Rene Magritte stated; "Everything we see hides another thing; we always want to see what is hidden by what we see, but it is impossible. Humans hide their secrets too well."

The outward appearance of men is often quite deceptive. A smiling face on the street may wield a load of pain in her heart. The kind salesman with the honest eyes may have just sold you a lemon.

In the end we are more the same than we are different. In spite of our oddities and curiosities we mostly experience that which is common to man and are in similar condition. Our need for a Savior is universal. Only God can see beyond the tattoos and the bonnets in all of our lives.

Our best efforts to discover what is behind the costume or façade, is often no more revealing than a big green apple or a faceless Amish doll.

IN CHRIST

You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. 2 Corinthians 10:7 NASB

- Steve Hoover

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