"Amish Peace – Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World" – by Suzanne Woods Fisher, 2009, Revell, $12.99, softbound, 218 pages: Fisher wrote this book in an attempt to help people find lasting peace. She chose the Amish as examples of how to reach that goal because she has Dunkard Brethren relatives (the Dunkard Brethren are similar to the Amish), and they seemed to her to embody that enduring peace she herself has found elusive.
In Part 1, Fisher tackles simplicity, beginning with the worth of money. While the Amish do not take any government subsidies or benefits, less than 5 percent of their new businesses go under, a sharp contrast to the national average, which is over 65 percent.
The format Fisher uses is a series of examples of simple living by the Plain folk she has met, followed by questions to ask yourself that may spark ways for you to simplify your own life and get closer to God. She also gives brief facts about plain living.
Keeping to a smaller scale lifestyle is one key to simple living. One man Fisher interviews refuses to add more tillable acres to his small farm, even though he could afford it; the current size offers enough to do without being overwhelming.
The Amish view change as a serious thing, and the church leaders make it a point to weigh the immediate effects against the long term in making any decision about whether or not to accept anything new.
They have accepted scooters, for example, but not bicycles, which may carry one too far from home. Fisher encourages the readers to take stock of their own technology and making the decision about keeping it based on whether or not it is truly simplifying your life.
Fisher also notes some ways to slow down. Manual tasks such as writing a letter in longhand or hand-washing dishes is one way, as is gardening with a loved one or walking a dog early in the morning.
The Amish have a different concept of time than do most folk. They don’t conform to Daylight Savings, and they use the seasons as their calendar. They also hold strong family bonds, rich with family history. One man Fisher interviewed was raised on the same farm as his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Another woman’s father planted the willow tree next to their home’s creek, on the land where she was born. Fisher asks the reader to consider how s/he might strengthen family bonds.
Lee’s take: Insightful.
J.J.’s take: Interesting.
LEE AND J.J. MACFADDEN are twins and voracious readers living in Bristol, Tenn. E-mail them at leeandjj.doubletake@yahoo.com.
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