I really enjoyed this chapter on barn raising. It gave Brende the opportunity to work side by side with twenty men from the community. As the day progressed he was able to learn their different personalities and characteristics. He realized they were like everyone else, with human failings. He realized that this mix of people were from various backgrounds and beliefs. By working and talking together it created an atmosphere of acceptance and friendship. People no matter where they are from or how they are raised have basically the same feelings. Brende was really surprised when he met Elbert, who was the son of the local bishop and brought up in the strict Amish teaching. Elbert ignored the dress code of the men and left his shirt unbuttoned and even exposed his abdomen, which was totally unacceptable. Brende realized that many of these men came from all walks of life and each man seemed to fit into this community with ease and comfort. Isn’t that what life is all about, accepting each other, even when we might not necessarily agree with their beliefs or lifestyle. This doesn’t mean we have to agree with what they believe, but we should not judge them.
It was also fascinating to me to read how this group of men worked together and in one day raised a fifteen-foot extension to the existing barn. My church has a Carpenters for Christ mission and sends members to various locations to help people. A group of volunteers went to Louisiana to help rebuild houses. I have never had the opportunity of participating in this but I plan to in the future.
1 comment:
I really enjoyed this chapter as well! We got to meet a lot of different people, and got the most interesting tidbits from them. I also thought it was interesting to see that people in this community came from all walks of life. Before this book, I would have assumed that most were born into this lifestyle, which is not the case for some of the Minimites.
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