Life Lessons from the National Parks

May 31, 2010

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So Elisha answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17

Someone drew my attention to an article published in 2003 in Government Executive magazine, listing the ten most dangerous national parks, based on a survey of park rangers.

It’s a very interesting list because of the reasons why they’re hazardous. In four of them, drugs—trafficking and smuggling primarily—are to blame. A heavy illegal immigrant presence is another concern, mainly in parks along the Mexican border—Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Big Bend National Park and Padre Island National Seashore. The San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico deals with urban gangs. Trouble also comes in the form of plant and animal poaching, not enough equipment or staff, crime and plain old overcrowding.

New Jersey’s Gateway National Recreation Area also makes the list, since it supports more than 2 million visitors annually, and must contend with “potential terrorist targets in major shipping lanes” (Sandy Hook, where Gateway is located, is situated near the entrance to New York City’s harbor). But its most interesting dilemma, according to the report, is that it’s the state’s only beach to allow alcohol and nudity.

Who knew nude sunbathing could present such peril?! For the record, while this is where Joe and I usually go when we travel to the Jersey Shore, we do not go to the nude beach (although I at least have wondered aloud what it’s like…)

The apostle Paul was someone who knew all about danger. He had several adventures, scrapes and near escapes, chronicled in the book of Acts—blindness (9:8, 12, 17-18), persecution (13:50), stoning (14:4,5), arrest and beatings (16:19-24; 21:30-34; 22:24-29; 23-28), death threats (23:12-14), shipwreck (27:41-44)—even a snake bite (28:3-6)!  Sometimes, though, I have a hard time with Paul’s conclusion in 2 Corinthians 4:8 and 9: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…”  But I have felt crushed, despairing, forsaken or destroyed, I argue. And that’s my problem in a nutshell: I may be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down, but my feelings aren’t in charge—God is. And if He says He won’t let things get to the point of no return, then I’ve got to trust Him to work it out. And that’s just what Paul concludes too: his sufferings were “in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God” (2 Corinthians 1:9). So simple…yet so hard to do!

Yep, there’s danger all around, in our national parks, in our communities and even within ourselves. But I pray as Elisha did, that our eyes would be open to see that the One who is with us is so very much more than all that is against us.

Comments (1) Jun 02 2010

November 9, 2009

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

I’m still working my way through the Ken Burns’ park series that my husband Joe graciously recorded for me while I was in Nebraska. And I continue to peruse articles I’ve cut out of the papers about the series (can you tell I am way behind on everything??)

One of the pieces I’ve read is from The New York Times, an interview with Mr. Burns and his collaborator, Dayton Duncan. In this article, the author mentions that Mr. Duncan “frequently chokes up” when discussing the film project. “It tells the multiple stories, Mr. Duncan said, of ‘an individual, a small group of people, an organization who fell in love with a place so deeply that they dedicated themselves to finally convince the government over a long struggle that it should be set aside for everyone…In each place, there’s great conflict and drama and unbelievable characters and great scenery.’”

When asked about all the travels he makes to promote his work, Ken Burns says, “There’s an evangelical dimension to it…I like shooting; I like getting up at 3 a.m. and getting out with the camera and getting out and filming…And then I love the proselytizing.” In reality, he says, he’s “’made the same film over and over again,’ one with a single theme at its core: ‘”Who are we?”’”

The enthusiasm of these two men for their work and this specific project—which took ten years—is obvious. The result, the Times’ writer says, is “an unabashed love letter.”

I found myself thinking that the Bible is also a “love letter,” albeit a much more important and life-changing one than any film, and it has all the same exciting elements Mr. Duncan raved about:

–people who were so committed to following God that they paid for it with their lives—for examples, see the book of Acts, or Hebrews 11, which I mentioned in my last post

–great conflict—Romans 7:7-25 outlines what is perhaps the greatest conflict of all, the one within ourselves

–drama—Paul’s radical conversion from persecutor to devoted follower, for one (Acts 9), or the incredible story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50)

–unbelievable characters—Samson, a cautionary study in contrasts (Judges 13-16); Rahab, a prostitute who was included in the Messianic line (Exodus 2:1-21, 6:22-23; Matthew 1:5); and Ananias and Sapphira, a couple who dropped dead when caught in a lie (Acts 5:1-10); to name just a few

– great scenery—you can’t beat the description of heaven in Revelation 21:10-27!

If the apostle Paul confessed he wasn’t a terrific speaker or exceptionally wise, and trembled from fear when he spoke, what excuse do we have to keep silent about the greatest story ever written?

We don’t need to go to seminary or evangelism seminars to tell the story, although those things have their place. All we have to do is, like Ken Burns, keep relaying the same message over and over again, one with a single theme at its core: Who are we?

The simple but profound answer is found in Romans 3:23, 6:23; and Ephesians 2:8 & 9: we are sinners saved from God’s wrath by His amazing grace.

Comments (0) Nov 10 2009