Donald B. Kraybill > Quotes

“We believe in letting our light shine, but not shining
it in the eyes of other people.”
― Donald B. Kraybill, Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy

“We don't pray for rain. We wait for rain, and when it comes, we thank God for it.”
― Donald B Kraybill

“Finally, in your conduct be friendly toward everyone And a burden to none. Toward God, live a holy life; toward yourself, be moderate; toward your fellow men, be fair; in life, be modest; in your manner, courteous; in admonition, friendly; in forgiveness, willing; in your promises, true; in your speech, wise; and out of a pure heart gladly share of the bounties you receive.38”
― Donald B. Kraybill, The Amish

“Unlike many of their consumer-minded neighbors, the Amish do not assemble their spirituality piecemeal by personal preference.”
― Donald B. Kraybill, Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy

“5. In all things, before you begin something, be cautious and ponder what the outcome may be. In all that you do and undertake, think constantly whether you would want to be doing it if that very hour you were to be called by death to appear before God’s judgment. For this reason never allow yourself to be found in any situation in which you could not trust or hope for your salvation. Live every day as if you might die and appear before the judgment seat of Christ.”
― Donald B. Kraybill, The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World

“In religious circles the term spiritual tops the sacred ladder, but the word social slips to the bottom.”
― Donald B. Kraybill, The Upside-Down Kingdom

“The importance of submitting to others reveals itself in other ways as well. As worship concludes and members reassemble for a noon meal, they take their seats at tables in an order prescribed by gender, age, and seniority (in the case of leaders).The children watch and learn. Unlike many American children, they do not race to the front of the food line but wait patiently for their turn. Except for the very young, who are served fairly quickly, children eat after the adults have finished. The lesson of waiting has been ingrained in children long before they’re teenagers, for training in uffgevva begins at an early age.”
― Donald B. Kraybill, The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World

“Do not be satisfied when others think of you as being devout—but truly be in reality what you appear to be. Woe to the man who is not pious yet wants to be considered as such.”
― Donald B. Kraybill, The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World