Hooking Up

You’ve heard of the Amish, I trust. Just in case you haven’t, they are what most modern folks consider “Peculiar”. They are living a horse-and-buggy lifestyle in the midst of a high-tech world. Some goofs seem to think that they don’t “believe” in the modern conveniences all around them, but the truth is they are striving for a holier life by holding to a more primitive way. That’s not their whole story – they will use all the things we enjoy, they just don’t own them or keep them in the house. They say that “suffering is good for the soul.” If so, August without air conditioning ought to make ANYBODY a saint!
I found an interesting thing about them back in Indiana. One father was giving a piece of his farm to his son who was getting married, needed us to do a survey. (I worked for land surveyors in my previous life.) As we were out there doing the work, taking note of all the electric lines crossing his property, it struck me as odd, all that power going through his land, but not coming to his home. Of course, I assumed that there was no point since there wouldn’t be outlets or ceiling fans or anything. Imagine my surprise when an electrician showed up to wire the new house. No, it wasn’t an accident or a mistake!
One thing the Amish know, they might not stay somewhere forever. If they want to sell a house in today’s modern age, it better have everything the modern English (what they call everybody who isn’t Amish) want. And it has to go in during construction, cheaper that way. So, that frame house with the horses out back and the kids wearing black felt hats and girls wearing bonnets and brogans has light switches and outlets all over the place, just like yours.
So follow me here.
The power lines cross right in front of their homes. Inside those homes are all the fixtures needed to make use of that power, but the people living there cook on wood stoves and heat their homes with fireplaces. The potential is there to have all the touch-of-a-button things we take for granted, they just lack one thing: a Connection.
We live in a country where you are never very far from a church of some kind and dedicated followers of all stripes. People go past them every day, maybe even taking comfort that they are there, that there is Light in the Darkness. Then they continue on in their own darkness, taking no advantage of the availability of the Light.
We are all born with a longing for that Connection to the Source, the Power. We were designed to put it to use, but so many live their lives without ever being “hooked up”. Just like with the power company, we have to make a request and enter into a relationship (get connected). Then we can enjoy Him for ourselves, right in our own heart.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God, John 1:4-5, 12