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Conyers also wrote for Christianity Today (today we've reprinted one of his articles) and our sister publication Books & Culture. His death comes as the school is also mourning the death of one of its other faculty members, F. Ray Wilson, a popular biology professor who died earlier this month during a study-abroad trip in Rome.

"This story has not been reported before," gushes Lancaster (Pa.) New Era writer Jack Brubaker. "You might think an observant press follows the president everywhere, especially during a re-election campaign, but no reporter attended this meeting."

Still, expect to read more about this little story. Last Friday, after speaking to workers at Lapp Electric Service, President Bush spoke with a group of about 60 Amish for about 20 minutes. He was apparently inspired to schedule the impromptu visit by the gift of a quilt earlier in the day from an Amish woman who lives across the street from the plant.

The story is full of quirky little details:

Bush said he had never met any Amish before and was curious about why the men were wearing straw hats rather than black wool hats. The Amish explained that they wear cooler straw in summer. Bush tried on a hat. …

An Amish man spoke apologetically about how he and his friends were not expecting to see the president and were wearing soiled work clothes. Bush said he did not mind that. …

Another man remarked that he has twin daughters, as does Bush. The man said one of his twins had dreamed the night before that she was shaking hands with the president.

One telling remark:

[Bush] asked them to vote for him in November. The Amish told the president that not all members of the church vote … .

Well, that's an understatement. Not voting is more or less an article of faith for the Amish. Like pacifism (the Iraq war isn't mentioned in the piece). But anyway …

The Amish told the president that not all members of the church vote, but they would pray for him. Bush had tears in his eyes when he replied. He said the president needs their prayers.

But the detail most people will certainly notice is this one:

At the end of the session, Bush reportedly told the group, "I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job."

If that's a real quote, then it's a rather shocking statement. If Bush had said that he trusts God works through him, then the comment would be rather innocuous: Evangelicals believe that God works through all types of people, good and bad, Christian and non-Christian. And it's common to hear many Christians speak of God working through them—sometimes in spite of their best efforts.

Christians believe that God speaks through all manner of people, too. And we believe that there are times when God has spoken through us. Generally, one may hear this language in the relating of evangelistic activities (e.g. "When he asked me why I believed Jesus is God, I felt a bit unprepared, but I prayed, and felt God speaking through me"). But talking about God speaking through someone is rarely done in the first person. It's usually, "I just heard God speaking through him/you." Very rarely "me."

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July (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48