As I look around at the present state of the world, I find the amount of time and money we pour into our appearances to be a little bit alarming. It makes me think that maybe the Amish (and other similar groups, like the Quakers) had a couple of things right. I can't help but to respect the practical simplicity of the Amish way of life. The specific applications of the movement in modern day aside, their emphasis on simplicity and their aversion to vanity are admirable. Clothing, in their minds, should not be something that draws attention to oneself. Now, drawing attention to ourselves should not be our ultimate goal anyway, but if people do find something about us attractive, it should be our character. This is certainly a Biblical concept. 1 Peter 1:3-4 says:
Peter is speaking primarily to women (as they would generally be the ones to adorn themselves), but the principle applies to us all. We should focus more on inner character than outward appearance, both in ourselves and in others.
This principle was a legitimate concern and emphasis of the Amish, and yet, history with all its irony has chosen to define the Amish largely by their appearance. When somebody says "Amish," you're mind instantly goes to the beards, suspenders, wide-brimmed hats, and simple, plain shirts, pants, and dresses that they wear. By avoiding change, they have engaged in it. As truly as we should heed their emphasis on avoiding our cultures obsession with apparel, so too should we heed the warning of what happens when you go to the other extreme. We should never compromise modesty for the sake of conforming to social norms, but sometimes our attempts to reject the attitudes of the culture around us can backfire. Who is more noticeable in a mall? An Amish person or a regular Joe wearing cargo shorts and an AC/DC shirt? Only God can judge the heart, but sometimes our attempts to be different can drag us into the same self-centered mindset as those from whom we are seeking to differentiate ourselves. We can easily lose track of the reason why we should be different and our basis for determining how to express it. We're human. It's what we do. Our attempts at humility end up turning into pride. In the same way, our attempts at being being inconspicuous make us stick out like sore thumbs, and, inversely, our attempts at being different make us just like everyone else.
So what do we do? We do what Peter says. We do our best to focus on building character and emulating Christ. We put less attention on temporal things like the clothes we put on our bodies and the style of our hair. As Paul says in Colossians 3:1, we set our affection on things above instead of on the things of the world. We learn the lessons from the Amish, both that we should not focus on the outward appearance, and also that we need to be moderate and discerning in how we distinguish ourselves from those around us.
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
Peter is speaking primarily to women (as they would generally be the ones to adorn themselves), but the principle applies to us all. We should focus more on inner character than outward appearance, both in ourselves and in others.
This principle was a legitimate concern and emphasis of the Amish, and yet, history with all its irony has chosen to define the Amish largely by their appearance. When somebody says "Amish," you're mind instantly goes to the beards, suspenders, wide-brimmed hats, and simple, plain shirts, pants, and dresses that they wear. By avoiding change, they have engaged in it. As truly as we should heed their emphasis on avoiding our cultures obsession with apparel, so too should we heed the warning of what happens when you go to the other extreme. We should never compromise modesty for the sake of conforming to social norms, but sometimes our attempts to reject the attitudes of the culture around us can backfire. Who is more noticeable in a mall? An Amish person or a regular Joe wearing cargo shorts and an AC/DC shirt? Only God can judge the heart, but sometimes our attempts to be different can drag us into the same self-centered mindset as those from whom we are seeking to differentiate ourselves. We can easily lose track of the reason why we should be different and our basis for determining how to express it. We're human. It's what we do. Our attempts at humility end up turning into pride. In the same way, our attempts at being being inconspicuous make us stick out like sore thumbs, and, inversely, our attempts at being different make us just like everyone else.
So what do we do? We do what Peter says. We do our best to focus on building character and emulating Christ. We put less attention on temporal things like the clothes we put on our bodies and the style of our hair. As Paul says in Colossians 3:1, we set our affection on things above instead of on the things of the world. We learn the lessons from the Amish, both that we should not focus on the outward appearance, and also that we need to be moderate and discerning in how we distinguish ourselves from those around us.
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