As I walked across America this past month to raise $25 million to support community programs that address some of our country’s most pressing challenges, I passed through some abandoned places – the forgotten corners of the country.
That’s why it felt like a revelation when I entered Lancaster Central Market. The air was permeated with the smell of roasted coffee and freshly baked Pennsylvania Dutch pastries. I saw Amish farmers in their civilian clothes selling their goods. Next door, Latino families ground masa for handmade tortillas. I also smelled herbs from bins sold by refugees who shared stories of how those herbs were used in their native countries. I knew I looked out of place, sweaty and dusty after walking twenty kilometers with my crew, but the people there felt right at home.
This was not a staged scene. This was the real America – a living portrait of the nation at its unapologetic best. What I saw in that market – people of all creeds, politics, religions, races and cultures coming together to exchange kind words, food and goods – was a living sermon on unity that our divided nation needs to hear.
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This market, in the heart of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is not just a place to shop; it’s a time capsule of the American Dream with roots dating back to 1730. Back then, Andrew Hamilton laid out this city amid rolling farmlands and carved out a plot of land in Penn Square for a public marketplace.
King George II chartered it in 1742 and in 1757 a sturdy brick building of 20,000 square meters was erected. The market has survived wars, depressions and countless changes. It is the oldest continuously operating farmers market in America and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
If America saw itself as this market – everyone doing their best – we would be well on our way to rediscovering what we’ve lost.
What amazes me is how the market continues to thrive – how alive it still is. It’s overwhelming to think how many Americans got through this and kept it going, each doing their part. You can see that spirit here today. I could have walked in and judged everyone by their appearance.
After all, what do I have in common with an Amish man? It turns out: a lot. One of the gentlemen I met was an accomplished basketball player in his youth, just like me. We both played for powerhouse high schools and competed for state championships. The difference was that he told me he had to defy his community’s ban on competitive sports. We reminisced and formed an unexpected bond.
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Here at this market everyone comes together not to discuss or scroll about politics social mediabut to exchange something real. No one checks your voting details or zip code. The most important thing these people share – no matter where they come from – is pride in their products, goods or services. They are craftsmen who take pride in giving the best of themselves. That pride is a reflection of who they are.
After returning from church one Sunday, an Amish family walks barefoot along a country road in the heart of rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on June 24, 2018. (iStock)
I miss that, that pride. I remember when I was a boy in Tennessee and one of my uncles brought a truck back from the dead. I’ll never forget the smile on his sweaty, grease-stained face as the engine came to life. He hit the steering wheel and shouted, “Attaboy!” We used to be proud of those things, and that became our identity. My uncle became known throughout town as the magician who could fix any engine.
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That’s the same pride I saw at Lancaster Market. Maybe that’s why I felt so at home when I walked in. These were my people.
As I walk, I’ve been thinking a lot about America – and I believe this market holds a lesson for a broken nation. If America saw itself as this market – everyone doing their best – we would be well on our way to rediscovering what we’ve lost.
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Our strength does not come from equality. It doesn’t come from keyboard wars. Our strength comes from who we are as individuals and what we have to offer.
That’s why Lancaster Market epitomizes America – and what the rest of us should aspire to.
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