I am learning why the Amish are so desperate to keep “English” dollars, politics, and technology out of their homes.

They aren’t seeking to make life more glamorous or more profitable.

They seek to make it gentler and more compassionate.

This helps me understand one of their most sacred rituals: washing the feet of their fellow worshippers.

If the money from contemporary Christians into political donations, building monuments, mounted screens, Web broadcasts, temples, and cathedrals went into ending homelessness, there wouldn’t be any homeless people.

A just about every poor kid could go to college. I imagine Jesus Christ would have approved of that.

To me, the most compelling – and beautiful – ritual of the Amish church is the ritual of foot washing; it’s one of the most spiritual and the most mysterious.

The idea of washing someone else’s feet is disturbing, even repugnant at first mention. But it can also be beautiful and affirming.

It’s a gesture of real meaning; it says something important.

No faith is perfect, the Amish are very human, but people who will wash their fellow worshipper’s feet are willing to put love way over money.

I am learning that while I wouldn’t want to live in a patriarchy,  there are worse things than Amish patriarchs, especially those who faithfully practice humility, not domination.

The Amish practice of washing the feet of others is modeled on the western world’s most famous foot washer, Jesus Christ.  He washed his shocked disciple’s feet before he was betrayed.

It is a powerful expression of submission and humility.

To me, it says a great deal about people when they kiss their fellow churchgoers’ feet to show their love – and equality –  to one another.

We “English” are taught to call attention to ourselves in every conceivable way, from Facebook pages to blogs and websites, books, podcasts, and online messaging systems. Our political and civic structures have lost their way and are devolving into almost cannibalistic spasms of conflict and rage.

We spent tens of billions of dollars trying to look good in the eyes of others, but we turn away while hundreds of thousands of people live on the streets.

No Amish person lives on the streets.

So many of the people I know would find it disgusting to kiss the feet of the people we pray with. I’d have a hard time with it, at least at first.

I see very clearly why the Amish are so desperate to keep “English” dollars, politics, and technology out of their homes.

Footwashing takes place during communion.

The semiannual communion and its associated rituals are among the most important for reinforcing the commitment of Amish church members to their faith.

Communion service is held twice each year and symbolizes the unity of the church and the humility of the Amish.

Humility is one of the most important elements of faith in the Amish Church.

If other people praise you, humble yourself. In church, preachers  often cite Peter’s injunction (Peter 5:5):  “In suffering be patient, and silence your heart under the mighty hand of  God.”

They point to Jesus, the meek servant, as the model of humility.

Pride and humility (Hochmuth and Demut) frame Amish consciousness and articulate the battle line between self-interest and community well-being.

High-mindedness is equated with arrogance and worldliness. There are few mirrors in Amish houses; most are hidden away in drawers. Amish people do not seek political office or any power.

According to Amish Scholar Steven M. Nolt,  the presentation of the self is especially vulnerable to pride.

Tattoos, hairstyles, clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, and suntans enable individuals to package and present themselves in unique ways that clamor for attention.

Such self-exaltation defies the Amish way; all cosmetic props and products are considered signs of pride. Jewelry, wedding rings, and wristwatches are forbidden, as is any form of hairstyling, fashionable clothing, neon color, print fabric.

The Amish sell bracelets and necklaces in their woodsheds but do not wear them.

Humility means dressing and looking alike, thus the plain standards of Amish dress. Ambition is unspoken if it exists at all.

The communion service usually takes most of the day, and children are left behind at home. There is great emphasis on the importance of individual preparation for this holiest of services.

No person is permitted to partake with hate in their heart, and communion services are closed to outsiders.

The sermons are especially long, sometimes ranging up to three hours.

Following the sermons and the communion prayers, the bishop receives a slice of bread from the deacon and asks the members to stand for prayer.

After the prayer, all remain standing while the bishop and one of his ministers break and distribute the bread to the members. Each member bows his knees in reverence, eats the small piece of bread, and is seated.

The same procedure is followed with a cup of homemade wine or grape juice.

After the prayer, a minister reads the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet shortly before his arrest and crucifixion. The deacon and lay members bring in towels and pails of water.

The bishop admonishes members not to be partial but to wash the feet of the person nearest them. As a symbol of complete humility, stooping, not kneeling, is required to do the washing.

A hymn is announced, and the men begin to remove their shoes and socks and wash each other’s feet in pairs.

Women follow the same pattern in a different room. after each pair has finished, they clasp hands, kiss each other, and the oldest member present says Da Herr sei mit uns, (“the Lord be with us,” and the other responds Amen, zum Frieda (“Amen, in peace.).”

As in the earliest Amish church, the Holy Kiss symbolizes love and fellowship between believers.

After all, have washed feet, the service concludes with a hymn.

As members leave the service, they contribute to the Arengelt (the “poor fund” of the district.

In this final act of communion, each person places his contribution in the deacon’s hand, which places it in his pocket without looking at the amount.

“How can we install in our children the value of plain life?” a mother in Ohio one mother asks an interviewer:

 

“Pray for our children…consistently practice simple living in our homes. Unless we are truly humble, we are not truly plain. We must be willing to be something less than our neighbor across the road…Eventually, our children will see that the luxuries and complexities of the world are a hindrance to our faith. ”