Today as Donn, Sarah and I got in line at Deer Park, located near our town, I noticed three Amish young ladies get in line behind us. A large family of Amish people were just ahead of us, so I asked the girls if they were with them, offering to let them go ahead of us.

The tallest of the girls said, “No, we just want to walk in without paying.”

I was puzzled. Were they really naive enough to believe this animal park would allow them to walk in without paying? I decided if the girls were turned away (as I was sure they would be) and had no money to pay, I would pay for them to enter the park.

Finally, the Amish family ahead of us finished paying, and it was our turn. We gathered around the window and the cashier was busy looking at our membership card. Suddenly I realized that the three girls were slipping past behind us, entering the park without paying. They hustled away, looking back over their shoulders to be sure the cashier hadn’t seen what they’d done.  I glanced at the cashier, and when I turned back, the girls had disappeared.

I was stunned. They had done just what the girl said they intended to do—walk into the park without paying! I felt sick. It was too late for me to do anything about it. The cashier would have no way of knowing whether the Amish family had paid for them or not.

When I told Donn what the girls had done, he was startled, too. I was raised with Amish kids, and I couldn’t imagine any of them doing what these girls had done. Never for a moment had I suspected they were going to try to walk in without paying, even though that’s exactly what the girl had said! Perhaps I was the one who had been naïve.

The incident spoiled the visit to Deer Park for me. I simply could not believe what I had seen. I still didn’t think they were part of the family ahead of us or that their parents (wherever they were) had been in on the scheme. But how had the girls gotten to Deer Park by themselves? And what should I do about what had happened?

We saw the Amish family a couple of times, and it was hard to tell whether the girls were with them or not, but eventually we found ourselves at a rather enclosed area—all the family members, including the girls, were there. The girl who had told me what they intended to do stood next to me.

I stepped closer to her and said, “What you did was very dishonest. When we leave, I intend to tell the clerks at the window what you did so next time they can watch for you.”

She said, “Oh, we had already paid before.”

“No, you hadn’t!” I responded. “You told me you intended to walk in without paying,* and that’s exactly what you did.”

The girl turned and almost ran to the woman whom I perceived to be the mother of the family. I assume she told her what I’d said and there seemed to be a conference going on as others in the family gathered around. Apparently, the parents had been in on it.

Sarah said she was done for the day, so we walked around the group. No one made any effort to stop us as we headed for the exit.

There were two clerks in the ticket booth, so I talked to one of them. I told her what had happened while we were paying. She shook her head sadly. “I’ve stood here and watched a whole Amish family sneak up through the woods to get in without paying. There isn’t much we can do.”

I felt sick as I realized the reputation the Amish were getting. I shook my head and said, “Well, I just wanted you to be aware that three of them snuck in behind us as we paid so that you can be alert next time.”

The clerk thanked me profusely.

As we walked away, it occurred to me that the three girls who had snuck in were probably over the age of 12, and the parents (if it was their parents) would have had to pay full price for them. As I explained to Sarah what I thought had happened, she shook her head and said, “Now I’m worried about the Amish, Grandma.”

I told her, “I was raised with a lot of Amish people, and I can’t imagine any of them doing something like this.”

Donn said, “Do you think there’s a blog in this episode?”

“All that occurs to me is that this Amish family is trying to gain God’s favor by the way they dress, by not using electricity, and by not driving cars.” I sighed. “But God is not impressed. He’s much more concerned about the condition of their hearts. Doing all those things they think are good doesn’t cover up their sins.”

            The Bible tells us that all our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64: 6), so trying to have the appearance of being righteous while behaving in sinful ways will never win God’s approval. The only righteousness that pleases God is what comes from the cleansing blood of Jesus when we receive the sacrifice He made for our sins.

            I hope that what I observed last weekend is not the norm for the Amish in our area, but the fact that the clerk wasn’t surprised raises doubts in my mind. Please join me in praying for the Amish, and anyone else, who is depending on what the Bible calls filthy rags for their righteousness. 

            Father, I pray for all who think they can gain your approval by appearing to be righteous. Would you reveal to them that your approval can only be gained through the precious blood of Jesus? Amen.

*If you’re wondering why the young lady told me what she planned to do, I can only assume that she thought Englishers like us would think there was nothing wrong with doing what she planned. Another sad commentary on our culture.