The historical marker stood on US 69, north of Lindale, Texas, just where the old highway met the new one. Just before the road got to the Sabine River bottoms, there was a marker. Then one day it was just gone, the post sawed off at ground level, and now the entire site has been included in the re-paving work on the highway itself.
I saw it one day, and resolved to bring a camera on the next trip down the road. When I did, I found the cut pipe post, and the marker gone.
What had it memorialized? the area just west of the highway was a rather level field, where a small "force" had gathered, spent the night, and made an early morning attack to wipe out an Indian group camped somewhere a few miles to the west. The historical marker had the old language of the Indian wars. Which someone, unknown, decided it was time to stop remembering. And so, the marker disappeared. I wondered for a long time if it would come back. It seems gone for good.
Time does that. A grand old idea becomes a bit of an embarrassment, and history is edited. When we traveled in Europe this fall, we found Germans that were passionately and totally angry at Hitler. Hitler's Mein Kampf is no longer a legal document in Germany, only graduate history students can buy a copy. Hitler's monuments are preserved only as lessons on what NOT to do as responsible citizens. Concentration camps are preserved as penitent reminders of horror.
Perhaps God uses the passage of time to let us get our history straight, to drop the old embarrassments of human nature, and to make a fresh start. It seems a slow process, but it does move us forward, perhaps in His own good time.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Gotta Be Ready
On Gentry in Tyler, heavy traffic, two flat "things" blow out of the back of a pickup. Driver turns around, returns, parks in the left turn lane, and scoots back to retrieve the items. It takes two hands, and he needs to run to clear traffic.
However, he is very "stylish" with the trademark way-too-low pants. Lookin' GOOD. Dragging the ground. Let's see now: one hand for one flat thing, one hand for the other flat thing that blew away................ that leaves two elbows trying to hold up the pants. If you bend a bit. If the wind isn't blowing AT ALL. If you bend your knees and try to walk on tip-toe. One thing for sure, the man is NOT ready to run!
Apparently it was a "stylin'" day, for a few blocks later, a young woman was trying to cross a very busy street. Not thin, but not overweight either, big hair, too-tight but stylish pants, and HEELS. At least 3" high, maybe a little tight, and there she is in the middle "turn" lane as traffic whizzes by in both directions. There's a break, and she begins to run across the open space. She didn't fall, but traffic did stop for her. She wasn't READY. Lookin' GOOD, but like a fish out of water in that traffic.
Looking good - - - but not ready to play in the adult world of the street. Looking good, a hallmark of our society, but not ready to really compete. A big issue for some folks is finding a way to be competitive at a $25.00 per hour wage, in a world where the global industry standard is $10.00. Somehow, not ready, at least not in the real world.
Jesus told lots of parables about being ready. The whole Book of Revelation is about being ready for life in a hostile world (usually the most ignored interpretation, since we would rather be "stylin'" than be ready). It's about being faithful within the Holy Spirit guided fellowship, when that fellowship is under persecution. It's not about jobs, it's about life itself. It's not even about eternity, it's about the day-to-day realistic grind that absolutely demands integrity and authenticity.
Abundant life means being ready to live with reality, and God's guidance. Look good or be good? Big question for Christians today.
However, he is very "stylish" with the trademark way-too-low pants. Lookin' GOOD. Dragging the ground. Let's see now: one hand for one flat thing, one hand for the other flat thing that blew away................ that leaves two elbows trying to hold up the pants. If you bend a bit. If the wind isn't blowing AT ALL. If you bend your knees and try to walk on tip-toe. One thing for sure, the man is NOT ready to run!
Apparently it was a "stylin'" day, for a few blocks later, a young woman was trying to cross a very busy street. Not thin, but not overweight either, big hair, too-tight but stylish pants, and HEELS. At least 3" high, maybe a little tight, and there she is in the middle "turn" lane as traffic whizzes by in both directions. There's a break, and she begins to run across the open space. She didn't fall, but traffic did stop for her. She wasn't READY. Lookin' GOOD, but like a fish out of water in that traffic.
Looking good - - - but not ready to play in the adult world of the street. Looking good, a hallmark of our society, but not ready to really compete. A big issue for some folks is finding a way to be competitive at a $25.00 per hour wage, in a world where the global industry standard is $10.00. Somehow, not ready, at least not in the real world.
Jesus told lots of parables about being ready. The whole Book of Revelation is about being ready for life in a hostile world (usually the most ignored interpretation, since we would rather be "stylin'" than be ready). It's about being faithful within the Holy Spirit guided fellowship, when that fellowship is under persecution. It's not about jobs, it's about life itself. It's not even about eternity, it's about the day-to-day realistic grind that absolutely demands integrity and authenticity.
Abundant life means being ready to live with reality, and God's guidance. Look good or be good? Big question for Christians today.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Shell Game
At the end of the September trip, we were in Budapest, on a high spot overlooking the river dividing the city. Off to the side was a man with a cloth spread on one of the steps, offering a "shell game". I watched as he used a small roll of aluminum foil and three pocket-sized match boxes to play out the game.
One tourist after another first won 100 euros, then lost 200. His two "shills" on the sides spoke excellent English, and you might have thought they were tourists, friendly, laughing, encouraging to the players.
As I watched, he did seem a bit clumsy to be doing a shell game. He let the little aluminum "pea" roll off to the side, his moves were pretty transparent, he dropped one of the boxes once, just not very good at the game. Then I watched as he won his money back from each player, and on those rounds, his hands were amazing, and impossible to follow!
One of the shills encouraged me to bet. But by then, my opinion had firmed up. He was not clumsy, he was totally in charge of the event. No one was going to win, except him. I watched for about 5 minutes, and he took in about 600 euros in that time.
Life is full of shell-games. The watcher gets over-confident, self-confident, says to self: "can't lose!" and then proceeds to lose the whole wallet.
Jesus said we should be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. LOTS of wisdom in that short saying; buy into that one and you take one more step toward the abundant life, and several steps away from the shell-games.
One tourist after another first won 100 euros, then lost 200. His two "shills" on the sides spoke excellent English, and you might have thought they were tourists, friendly, laughing, encouraging to the players.
As I watched, he did seem a bit clumsy to be doing a shell game. He let the little aluminum "pea" roll off to the side, his moves were pretty transparent, he dropped one of the boxes once, just not very good at the game. Then I watched as he won his money back from each player, and on those rounds, his hands were amazing, and impossible to follow!
One of the shills encouraged me to bet. But by then, my opinion had firmed up. He was not clumsy, he was totally in charge of the event. No one was going to win, except him. I watched for about 5 minutes, and he took in about 600 euros in that time.
Life is full of shell-games. The watcher gets over-confident, self-confident, says to self: "can't lose!" and then proceeds to lose the whole wallet.
Jesus said we should be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. LOTS of wisdom in that short saying; buy into that one and you take one more step toward the abundant life, and several steps away from the shell-games.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Habakkuk
The short book with the funny name comes up again. I love Habakkuk! A short book with a powerful witness, Habakkuk himself is almost a parable. Great statements aside, the outline itself is superb.
Witness to an invasion, in the "old world" style of brutality and extermination, Habakkuk survives. He reflects, lifts up a controversy with the Lord, then a praise. But it is the concluding hymn/poem that is the wonderful affirmation: even if ALL the benefits disappear, I will JOY in the Lord.
The foundation is faith, and faith trumps material measurements. Now, is that something our age seems to need?
Take another look into Habakkuk. Comments are welcome. Slow comments shape next year's visit with Habakkuk. Quick comments might shape this Sunday's early-service sermon.
Bryan
Witness to an invasion, in the "old world" style of brutality and extermination, Habakkuk survives. He reflects, lifts up a controversy with the Lord, then a praise. But it is the concluding hymn/poem that is the wonderful affirmation: even if ALL the benefits disappear, I will JOY in the Lord.
The foundation is faith, and faith trumps material measurements. Now, is that something our age seems to need?
Take another look into Habakkuk. Comments are welcome. Slow comments shape next year's visit with Habakkuk. Quick comments might shape this Sunday's early-service sermon.
Bryan
Well, Yet Again in East Texas
Texas is a "sort of" independent nation, with a fundamental strangeness in one set of laws. Yet again, the voters approved a strange measure. Those opposed to alcohol won half of an election. It is in Smith County, as in many areas of Texas, legal to buy alcohol in a restaurant. It is, in those same areas, often illegal to buy alcohol to take home.
Therefore, in a strange wisdom, it is legal to drink and then drive home. It is NOT legal, in the same area, to have a cup of coffee, buy alcohol, drive home, and THEN pour a drink.
It's one of those "unintended consequences" of a very close, very well-intentioned political campaign. It's also one of those areas where you can find that plenteous and deep well of humor in human nature.
It is good when our oddities just result in humor; it becomes a different matter when there is a direct connection between good intentions and drunk driving.
Therefore, in a strange wisdom, it is legal to drink and then drive home. It is NOT legal, in the same area, to have a cup of coffee, buy alcohol, drive home, and THEN pour a drink.
It's one of those "unintended consequences" of a very close, very well-intentioned political campaign. It's also one of those areas where you can find that plenteous and deep well of humor in human nature.
It is good when our oddities just result in humor; it becomes a different matter when there is a direct connection between good intentions and drunk driving.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
We Don't Brag on John Anymore
I started researching one day, looking for the outcome of such a promising young man, wondering why he just dropped off the radar screen, sort of "out" of the historical record.
By age 24, John Evans had a medical degree. Soon he helped found Indiana Central State Hospital, and founded the Illinois Medical Society. He prospered, founded the Illinois Republican Party, and became a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. He helped other Methodists found Northwestern University (and the city of Evanston, Illinois), and was elected first president of its Board of Trustees.
Check the longer story here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Evans_(governor)
He was appointed governor of the Territory of Colorado, and founded the parent institution of the University of Denver. And that is almost the end of the story. As governor, he appointed the Rev. John Chivington as Colonel of the Colorado Volunteers, with a commission to "quiet the Indians". Which led, to make a long story short, to the Sand Creek Massacre in November 1864. There was a cover-up, and President Andrew Johnson asked Evans to resign. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_creek_massacre
So much good, so clearly Christian (streets in Evanston are named for heroes of the faith), and so much accomplished. But John participated in a moral blind spot of significant size, and a popular one: the only good Indian is a dead Indian. And on November 28, 1864, the bad trumped the good, with tragic consequences.
Somehow, along the way, his tragic flaw has been shared by many. Only lately have we begun to re-discover history grossly re-written to hide flagrant flaws. And as we do, an admiration grows for those long-hidden and much-abused people who brought great dignity to life, even as they were being so badly used.
It's a reminder: whether we've seen it or not, God has not left Himself without witnesses among every people, and especially among the American Indians, where there is a richness of poetry and faith.
Today, am I so caught up in my own busy-ness that I fail to see God's hand at work, even in people I don't clearly understand or value? It happens. And long after, an Act of Repentance will be part of the 2012 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, which will include a call to awareness of the values of indigenous peoples in other places as well, and to awareness of Christ's call to brotherhood.
By age 24, John Evans had a medical degree. Soon he helped found Indiana Central State Hospital, and founded the Illinois Medical Society. He prospered, founded the Illinois Republican Party, and became a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. He helped other Methodists found Northwestern University (and the city of Evanston, Illinois), and was elected first president of its Board of Trustees.
Check the longer story here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Evans_(governor)
He was appointed governor of the Territory of Colorado, and founded the parent institution of the University of Denver. And that is almost the end of the story. As governor, he appointed the Rev. John Chivington as Colonel of the Colorado Volunteers, with a commission to "quiet the Indians". Which led, to make a long story short, to the Sand Creek Massacre in November 1864. There was a cover-up, and President Andrew Johnson asked Evans to resign. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_creek_massacre
So much good, so clearly Christian (streets in Evanston are named for heroes of the faith), and so much accomplished. But John participated in a moral blind spot of significant size, and a popular one: the only good Indian is a dead Indian. And on November 28, 1864, the bad trumped the good, with tragic consequences.
Somehow, along the way, his tragic flaw has been shared by many. Only lately have we begun to re-discover history grossly re-written to hide flagrant flaws. And as we do, an admiration grows for those long-hidden and much-abused people who brought great dignity to life, even as they were being so badly used.
It's a reminder: whether we've seen it or not, God has not left Himself without witnesses among every people, and especially among the American Indians, where there is a richness of poetry and faith.
Today, am I so caught up in my own busy-ness that I fail to see God's hand at work, even in people I don't clearly understand or value? It happens. And long after, an Act of Repentance will be part of the 2012 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, which will include a call to awareness of the values of indigenous peoples in other places as well, and to awareness of Christ's call to brotherhood.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)