Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Holmes County is quiet. She has left the world. But her sins remain.
Hidden away in a few valleys, and snuggled behind a myriad of golden cornfields, lies Holmes County, Ohio. She has never left the 19th century, and everything there is tranquil and happy, or so it would seem.
Rounding a curve in front of a freshly painted barn one might very well come upon a family on their way to town in a shrouded black buggy. Horse drawn, and sporting a slow moving vehicle on its back side, the carriage moves slowly down the side of the road, oblivious to the speeding cars that pass by it. Huddled inside these buggies of yesteryear are bonneted women and bearded men, quite content, it would appear, to look at the oddly dressed tourists who whiz by in a hurry going to a place they have never dreamt of.
On a busy weekend, when the family comes to market, driving into one of their small communities is like dropping into another century. Stores are lit with gas lights, cash registers are mostly non-existent, and credit cards unheard of. Items that would be considered antiques elsewhere are a way of life in the home of an Amish family, and are for sale on the shelves of these very unique stores. Flat irons, cast iron skillets, washboards and cheese molds are everyday items hereabouts.
The communities of Kidron, Berlin, Apple Creek and a dozen other communities between Orrville and Millersburg, are all home to hundreds of Amish and Mennonite families. Buggies, surreys, and buckboards line the streets, and the highways there are not littered with trash and human refuse, just horse droppings, and remnants of a time that has stood still for decades.
In order to escape the sin of the world, and its influence upon their lives, these earthly people have refused to progress, nor to go where the world has gone. Televisions, automobiles, and electricity have, in their eyes, taken precedence over the Lord, and they have opted out.
But, sad to say, they have not escaped sin. Lust and anger, jealousy, envy and, pride all live with them inside the time capsule into which they have retreated. No people, no place is immune. What Adam brought, Adam left. It’s not, you see, just in the world. It’s in the blood.
The pristine barns and picturesque landscapes of Ohio seem to have solved the problems of hustle and bustle, but at what price? Maybe they don’t need high speed transportation, instant communication, or the internet. Certainly God gave us the knowledge and abilities to progress, so is the sin in the progress, or in what man has done with it?
The Amish are honest, hard working, and God fearing, but they are still sinners. They still need Jesus. We all do, whatever time it is.
Lord, teach me the values of the old ways, the purpose of the new, and the wisdom to walk with both Amen
*‘Holmes County’ first appeared in Renewed and Ready magazine, and later e-magazine by the same name in July 2008
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