Us Mennonites are Real Hardcore

Its funny how one single word can so drastically change how people view you.

To those around me, I am just another girl: a bit quirky, sometimes loud, energetic, and rather nerdy. Just a girl - until they ask what church I go to. So many times I have heaved a sigh before replying, and then braced myself for the exclamation of "Mennonite?! Really?!". This is often followed by questions somewhere along the line of "So do you drive a car? Why don't you wear a little bonnet-thingy and a skirt? Are you allowed to have a boyfriend?". Even after my practiced explanation of Mennonite vs. Amish, many are confused and even skeptical.

However, out of all the reactions I have experienced, perhaps my favorite was the hesitant query by a girl at my lunch table this semester: "So...at your church...are there any.....hardcore Mennonites?" I paused and held up the "rock out" hand symbol before bursting into laughter. "Hardcore Mennonite"? Really? I went on to explain that the word she was looking for was "conservative", and that yes, there were in fact some people at my church who wore coverings.

The question I am often then confronted with is "Well then what are you?". Since the opposite term is "conservative", I have sometimes declared myself to be a "Liberal Mennonite", but that term carries too many pre-conceived notions and prejudices with it. Thanks to that timid question, I have now found a name for what I hope to become: a hardcore Mennonite.

"Hardcore" is defined as "unswervingly committed; uncompromising; dedicated". These terms describe the faith that I hope to grow and that of many people that I admire.

So, in answer to your question: Yes, there are most definitely hardcore Mennonites at my church.