“Kindness, when given away, keeps coming back.” Amish proverb
There are all kinds of variations to the wise old adage: “Many hands make light work.” It’s not a new concept. Around 900 B.C., King Solomon made note that “a cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Around 750 BC, Homer said, “Light is the task where many share the toil.” And here’s a modern twist: TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More. It’s certainly true that large tasks become small when divided among several people.
“Many hands make light work” is more than a saying to the Amish—it describes their way of life. Consider the iconic barn raising. A perfect example of the tight knit, caring community of the Amish.
In The Calling, an out-of-work youth pastor, Geena (who is non-Amish), stays at the Inn at Eagle Hill and pitches in with the Amish to build a community garden. Although Geena has spent her career within the church, she is impressed by the cooperative spirit of the Amish:
After a simple lunch of ham-and-cheese sandwiches had been served, most of the Amish families went home. The bulk of the work had been done. All who remained were those who wanted to grow and manage a garden plot. Geena had heard about the community of the Amish, but seeing it up close and personal—it was something to behold. They arrived early and slipped seamlessly into a role, as if they all knew where they fit best.
To Geena, it felt like watching Paul’s words in action from his letter to the Romans: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
Watching Bethany, Jimmy Fisher, Galen King, Amos Lapp, Hank Lapp, Rose Schrock, and Naomi King spread out among the newly built plots and teach people how to care for the gardens…Geena went suddenly all soft inside with choking that was close to tears. Every church in the world, she supposed, had a little knot at its solid center. The goodness, the simple honest goodness in some people!
If you took the spirit of barn raisings to heart (metaphorically speaking, of course), what would change in your life? Carving time in your life to help a friend move, pitching in to clean up an elderly person’s yard, delivering a meal to a new mom? Those are all variations on the theme of “barn raising,” aka a caring community. And such a community is not unique to the Amish—it’s something all Christians should aspire to.
Many hands make light work-what can you do to help? @suzannewfisher @notquiteamish
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More About Suzanne
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Letters, The Calling, the Lancaster County Secrets series, and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children’s series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at http://www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with Suzanne on Twitter.
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