Amish traditions: Can man-made be God-inspired?



(Photo by Nils Fretwurst)

Sunday evening of the 2011 Labor Day weekend found me heading back east through the Mohawk Valley of New York State.  Because a storm was brewing, I took the shortest cuts possible.  These led me straight through “Amish country.”

The darkness was growing thicker and thicker as the wind and rain whipped through.  Suddenly before me, looming up from the eerie mist, was a glowing reddish triangle.  It took me but a moment to adjust, and that adjustment made all the difference.  Had I not seen that bright-colored safety symbol, there is every chance that my vehicle would have slammed into that darker-

colored, slower-moving, horse-drawn buggy.

I thanked my lucky stars, and the Creator who made them, as I continued driving for miles behind the Amish

buggy.  The storm grew fiercer and fiercer, and I later was told that a tornado had hit the region just east of

there.  When I arrived home, I explained to my husband how that glowing triangle had probably saved lives.

Now, a mere two-and-a-half weeks later, I’m reading headlines like this one from Reuters:  Amish men jailed for not displaying buggy safety signs.  Further reading revealed that “the defendants contend that paying the fines would amount to complying with a law that violates their religious restrictions against wearing

or displaying bright colors or relying upon man-made symbols for their safety.”

This has led to some questions on my part.  Are the restrictions against displaying bright colors because of modesty?  If so, would a strictly safety-oriented symbol be immodest?  Is such a safety-oriented symbol completely man-made?  Is it possible that God sometimes works through man in order to protect Creation?

It is often quite difficult to discern where “man-made” ends and “God-inspired” begins.  Erring on the side of preserving life seems particularly pertinent in a case like this.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_life_in_the_modern_world

http://www.wtvr.com/news/sns-rt-us-kentucky-amish-jailedtre78c7k6-20110913,0,827825.story

http://www.amishnews.com/amisharticles/religioustraditions.htm

http://amishamerica.com/why-do-the-amish-wear-plain-clothing/     

http://books.google.com/books?id=_9WTtr8EL74C&pg=PA153&lpg=PA153&dq=amish+manmade+symbols&source=bl&ots=hninjzgi-j&sig=fjFPcvRZEErRqyL1zqdMX7ftRt4&hl=en&ei=vRBxTqzrGIfW0QHIhJ2oCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false  

Copyright September 15, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved