In our trip around the USA promoting our T-shirts with messages of Christ, we have met wonderful people in stores, bookstores, churches, family and friends who have been part of this incredible journey.
Today we were visiting Gasthof Amish Village, an Amish community in Montgomery, Indiana. My wife had the idea to visit them to learn more about them and their culture. In the following link you will find the location in Google maps https://maps.app.goo.gl/iMGmFCrd9619Axew8
This community offers you a hotel with all the amenities, meeting places, an Amish lifestyle store and a buffet restaurant with a variety of homemade food: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, meat, a variety of vegetables, coleslaw, cakes, cookies and so on.
Gasthof is made up of Amish and Mennonites. To learn more about the difference we asked Natalie who served us at the restaurant. I didn't ask her age but she must be between 16 and 20 years old. She told us that she is Mennonite, meaning that they are more liberal in certain customs such as energy, cell phones, vehicles and clothing. We also asked Kathryn, who helps in the restaurant, to give us her opinion and comments on both ways of living. She told us the same as Natalie, adding that they are Christians, they follow the King James Bible.
As I asked her other questions, I noticed that she didn't know what to answer, to which she told me she didn't know what to answer because she doesn't know beyond what we see. I thanked her for the time and attention, and she agreed to take a picture with my wife.
On the way out, my wife and I were surprised by her comment. I hadn't realized that certain questions I asked her she didn't know how to answer; her world is what we see, that territory, its people and customs.
She has such a beautiful charisma and kindness that one would prefer that she doesn't know anything else so she keep those values. The cordiality, empathy, kindness, patience and love with which they spoke to us made us want to talk for hours with them.
"What does it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul? Matthew 16:26
What good is it to know the whole world if it makes you arrogant? What good is it to have much knowledge of this world if you are not loving and gentle with others?
The false duality between having a lot of money and being kind and loving leads many to seek wealth in many places instead of seeking it within themselves and their families. That is the true wealth, a family full of love, a community full of values.
The loss of values in our society is evident, that's why it is important that each one of us does our part to improve it, being cordial with the neighbor and with the stranger. If we don't do so, we contribute to further damage to the society in which we live.
May what comes first continue to come first just like our new friends in the Amish community: be kind, cordial, loving no matter how much you have, how much you know of this world, who you have in front of you, or where you come from, because she didn't even ask us.
God bless you!