INDIANS & AMISH Part 2

Last Sunday a Healing for the Natives ministry team traveled to the Amish settlement and spent a day with our Amish friends. During the three hour drive home I contemplated what had just taken place. How could a bunch of crazy Indians hold a meeting for these devout pious modestly dressed people? We sang, played the drum, danced, shouted, rejoiced, preached, and these Amish couldn't get enough. They were enthusiastic and animated. They responded to the word preached, and basically put most, so called charismatics to shame by their sensitivity to the anointing of the Holy Spirit. One lady commented, "your people are very different than ours." Laughing, I said, "Yeah, we are very loud." She responded, "Yes, and we are very quiet, but we need to learn how to be loud." These Amish people are desperate for God. They are desperately hungry for a move of the Spirit, and they are encountering severe persecution from their own people for this. The most recent charge brought by their denomination is called, the "Swiss Kiss"; basically an attack on the reconciliation movement between the Swiss National Church and our Amish friends. The traditional Amish leadership has singled out this new movement and have attacked the principles of forgiveness and unity that are behind the reconciliation movement. I spoke to several young Amish people who have recently joined the new movement and they explained how they are rejected and shunned by their people for following Jesus. How many of us are willing to pay the price that these Amish people are paying just to follow the Lord? Just for them to open the door for Indian Christians to come to their camp and preach was a huge step. But their love for the Lord is greater than what man can do to them. Two years ago I received a phone call from Robert, an Amish Elder, who very gently and humbly explained to me how God was leading them into reconciliation with the Bride of Christ and healing ancient divisions in the Anabaptist community. He went on and asked if they, the Amish group, could attend our annual camp meeting. Robert humbly begged, "We desired to be reunited with the Bride of Christ, and we would like to reconcile with our Native American brethren. We have seen how this country has treated the Native American people. How your land was taken, even the land we now live on, and now we want to ask you for your forgiveness?" Immediately my head started spinning and my heart pounding, old prejudices rising up inside of me. I remembered the hurtful comments of the Hutterites and my anger over the land they were intruding on. These people who spoke with German accents and reminded us of the European invasion wanted to reconcile with me! I sat stunned. The Holy Spirit urged me to welcome these new brothers with open arms. When the campmeeting arrived we had the most wonderful time of reconciliation and foot washing. The presence of the Holy Spirit fell upon us as they asked us to forgive them for the atrocities against Native Americans, and I asked them to forgive us of our prejudice and resentment. What a time of crying and rejoicing we had. The Amish brothers danced harder than the Natives that night as we played victory songs and celebrated the glory of the Lord. This unlikely reconciliation of people who are so different was a great lesson for us, and as I will explain in a future blog was an important part in the fulfillment of our destiny.