Life Lessons from the National Parks

August 23, 2010

No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62

In June 2008, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced a proposed deal with the United States Sugar Corporation to buy up all its assets, including 187,000 acres of land for Everglades restoration. The price: $1.75 billion.

According to a New York Times article, “Never before had so much land north of Everglades National Park been made available.” Wetlands would be saved along with endangered plants and animals. Environmentalists were delighted–and so was the National Park Service.

Finally, after the project had been scaled back three times, two lawsuits filed, much negotiation conducted and with less tax revenue available for the purchase, it looks like some kind of deal will actually get done. Two weeks ago, the South Florida Water Management District, which will buy and manage the land, voted to pay $197 million for 26,790 acres, with an option to buy more land later.

Despite the less ambitious outcome, Gov. Crist is pleased, and in a statement he quoted the philosopher Lao Tzu: “The longest journey begins with a single step.”

Taoist philosophy in this case dovetails with Jesus’ words: start at the beginning. For a Christian, that means first putting our hand to the plow by responding to the invitation to follow Jesus (Matthew 11:28).

The word picture Luke conjures up should be very familiar to anyone who has ever tilled the soil. If you keep looking back while you’re making a furrow, your rows will be crooked, and by the time you get to the end of the field, everything will be all off.  Anyone who farms needs to realize what he or she is getting into. Drought, storms, pests and uncertain yield are the norms. A farmer who’s distracted won’t last very long.

Like farming, the Christian life is hard work. Scripture cautions Jesus’ followers to carefully consider the cost of a full commitment to Him. We’re adjured to prepare for the long haul, to “work out our salvation” (Philippians 2:12, 13) after we step out in faith. “Forget what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead,” Paul says later in Philippians 3:13.   And the writer of Hebrews encourages us to “run with endurance” and “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1, 2). A Christian who’s constantly looking back won’t last for the entire journey.

Will Gov. Crist eventually get everything he wants? Maybe. Will the Everglades ever be fully restored? I doubt it. Will those who sign on to the Christian life always reap a  bumper crop? Definitely not. Droughts, storms, pests and uncertain yields this side of heaven are spiritual givens as well.

That’s why it’s so good to know our hand is not alone on the plow (Psalm 16:8, 73:23).

Comments (2) Aug 26 2010

May 10, 2010

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20

I’ve been meaning to talk about this previously, but perhaps you’ve read in the paper about the incursion of thousands of Burmese pythons into the Everglades. It seems these non-native reptiles are the offspring of cast-off pets, and they’re endangering the South Florida environment by eating up the indigenous wildlife—alligators included (brings kind of an interesting picture to mind, doesn’t it?). According to a piece in last Saturday’s New York Times, it’s gotten so bad that Congress is considering a ban on buying or selling several kinds of giant snakes.

But the thrust of this particular article wasn’t so much about the havoc they’re causing as it was about their newfound celebrity. That’s right—the pythons are becoming a tourist attraction. “They’re asking about pythons that don’t even belong here, instead of alligators,” said Bob Freer, who’s become a top private python hunter.

The public’s fascination with the snakes worries biologists. “People need to view exotic species invasions as pollution—biopollution,” said David E. Hallac, chief of biological resources for Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, in the Times article. “In some cases, this form of biopollution can be even more difficult to remedy than chemical pollution, mainly because we have no way of cleaning up exotic species from our natural environment.”

The interest has led reporters to interview Everglades officials around 300 times, and Mr. Freer has appeared on Animal Planet and the History Channel to talk about the pythons.

So what we have here is a classic case of topsy turvy priorities: the native gators, birds and such that used to be the star attractions are now ceding the spotlight to creatures that aren’t even supposed to be there in the first place.

And don’t we often find that same reversal of standards all around us? Take the issue of civility, for example. Talk about exchanging the sweet for the bitter! In my exercise class this morning, I had a fellow student upbraid me for not working out hard enough—twice! Why this complete stranger felt it her duty to comment I have no idea. How have we gotten to be such a mouthy and rude country—is it a trickle down effect from the rancor we see in our national leaders, or a trickle up from the personal thoughtlessness and downright meanness we can’t seem to keep in check anymore?

But that pales in comparison to the cold shoulder too many give to God these days, the epitome of goodness and light. The latter part of Romans 1 lays out an indictment of those who ignore Him: “They became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, [and] exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…” (vv. 21, 22, 25). The result is moral, spiritual and even physical pollution—“impurity…dishonor…degrading passions…indecent acts [and their] due penalty…depraved mind…wickedness, greed, evil…envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice,” and people becoming “gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful…” with the conclusion that “although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (vv. 24, 26, 28-32).

Strong words. Some would say condemning ones too. Ah, but the good news is that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:1, 2).

The struggle between evil and good and the tendency of us willful humans to flip flop the two is real. But God stands ready, with just a word of assent from us, to clear out the invasive sin, to “rescue the godly from temptation” (2 Peter 2:9) and “keep [us] from falling, and present [us] before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 25).

No Burmese pythons allowed!

Comments (0) May 10 2010

January 18, 2010

He who believes in Me [Jesus], as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’ John 7:38

I keep thinking about the Everglades, I guess because last year at this time Joe and I were there. It really is an incredible place.

Plus, I just read that the National Park Service has begun a long-awaited project there. Construction has started at the northern edge, near the Shark Valley (a great place to see tons of gators), where a one-mile bridge is to be built to replace part of Tamiami Trail. The Trail is a major thoroughfare in southern Florida, cutting an east-west swath across the state, adjacent to Everglades and partly through Big Cypress National Preserve (gators also like to hang out alongside the Trail, as do a variety of birds).

The problem is that Tamiami Trail acts as a barrier to the overland flow of water to the park. The bridge—which will be completed in 2013 and cost about $81 million—is only the initial phase of a much bigger plan. The Trail eventually will be raised to facilitate even greater movement of water underneath.

So what’s the big deal with the water, you may wonder? In a word, life: life for the plants and animals that depend on it. Everglades is not a swamp, as many imagine—swamps are stagnant, and Everglades water moves slowly but steadily out to Florida Bay. That liquid is a precious and much-thought about commodity in Everglades. The built-up Miami area siphons off quite a bit to meet its growing needs. Human intrusion, especially in the form of barriers like roadways, disrupts the water quantity and distribution. This project is one more effort to restore the park’s natural balance.

Jesus promises His “living water” will stream through us when we put our trust in Him; sometimes, though, you and I have got to do work to keep it moving. It’s way too easy to put up obstacles that impede the current of goodness and mercy He longs to pour over us. Often we need to put some heavy-duty plans into action to get us back in balance.

I find it’s sort of like physical exercise. I just joined a gym after years of working out at home with a treadmill and free weights, because I found that practice just wasn’t cutting it anymore. My body got too used to the same old routine: I was basically staying about the same weight (even gaining a wee bit—eeek!) and I was bored, bored, bored! I knew it was time to shake things up before I really started slacking off and piling on the pounds.

Perhaps like me with my change in workout, you need to make some adjustments to get your spiritual juices going again. I know I’m always looking for ways to keep my devotional and prayer time fresh. In fact, I’ve had to get into a different habit to fit it into my new exercise schedule. Any kind of change means time and attention and effort—I had to shell out money and now must leave the comfort of my house to stay in shape, and my whole morning had to be tweaked. Spiritual adjustment can be just as costly.

But like the terrific outcome I’m expecting because of my revamped training, and the good things that will come out of the Everglades project, it’s the results I’m looking forward to—a flood of God-centered water that keeps me coming back for more.

My prayer is that you find that life-giving surge just as refreshing.

Comments (0) Jan 18 2010

July 13, 2009

Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. Genesis 4:7

One of the best things about visiting national parks, aside from the spectacular scenery, is seeing the wildlife—from a safe distance, that is.  Sometimes, though, the encounter is a little too up close and personal.

Take my visit to the Everglades last January. Joe and I were on a leisurely bike ride with a few other people on the Long Pine Key Trail. Everglades is a place where going off-trail is encouraged, so our ranger guide had us dismount and traipse through the surrounding pineland and hardwood hammock areas. We saw the footprints of an endangered Florida panther, which was pretty exciting.

As we headed back to our bikes, I must have sensed something, because I glanced down in mid-step to see a small, coiled snake in my path. My shriek of surprise brought the ranger over, and he confirmed what I already knew by sight and sound: it was a baby diamondback rattler (when you grow up in Florida, you learn pretty early in school how to identify poisonous reptiles). But what a cute little thing it was, with only two small rattler nubs, which it shook with all its might, like a kid trying to show off how big and strong he was. Everyone came over to take a look, not really afraid of it, but the ranger said, “Where there’s a baby, there’s usually a mama nearby,” so we decided we all best be moving along.

But I discovered we were wrong in thinking a little snake would do less harm than a bigger one. According to National Geographic’s website, baby rattlers “can actually be more dangerous than adults because they have less control over the amount of venom they inject.”

The word picture of the Genesis verse I cited above, that of sin ready to pounce, came to mind later that day as I wrote about the snake incident in my travel journal. I toy with “little” sins—a lie here, a compromise there, a flash of anger, a cutting comment—and think they don’t really matter.  Oh sure, I avoid the “big” ones, like murder or robbery, and tell myself I’m okay. But I’m fooling myself: the poison invades my system anyway, taking away my healthy relationship with God. And where there are “baby” sins, “mama” sins are not far away.

(Had I’d seen the Florida panther, I’d probably have been reminded of 1 Peter 5:8: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” If I had a choice between coming across a panther or a diamondback rattler, I’d rather have the snake. On second thought, I’d just as soon steer clear of both).

But big, skulking felines and snakes of all sizes, the “sin that so easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1), aren’t avoidable in life, so I’m thankful I can rely on the only antidote that’s proven to work—God’s love, mercy and forgiveness, vast enough to cover it all:  “The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever” (I Peter 5:10, 11). Amen!

Comments (2) Jul 13 2009

May 11, 2009

With your blood you [Jesus] purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:9

There’s only one place in the world where alligators and crocodiles co-exist, and that’s in the Everglades. The park’s fresh waters, in which gators dwell, mingle with Florida Bay’s salt water, which crocs need, providing the perfect environment for both of these reptiles.

My husband Joe and I saw plenty of alligators when we visited the Everglades—not surprising, since there are over a million of them in Florida alone—and we were fortunate to spot a crocodile in the Flamingo area (they’re an endangered species, with only an estimated 500 in existence in the U.S.). We were able to tell the difference between them, even from a safe distance (highly recommended), thanks to a tutorial in a park visitor center: crocodiles are olive-colored, with pointier snouts, and their lower teeth are visible when their mouths are shut (the preferred way to observe them, in my opinion).

You might say Joe and I live in a croc and gator world. We look quite different from the majority of residents around us—we’re Caucasian, and most of our neighbors are African-American. Our church is similarly mixed. Living and worshiping in integrated settings has been one of the richest experiences of our lives.

I also realize it’s not the norm, especially when it comes to church. It was Episcopal Bishop James A. Pike who first said, “The 11 o’clock hour on Sunday is the most segregated hour in American life” (quoted in the May 16, 1960 issue of US News & World Report), a phrase echoed later that decade by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mark Chaves, professor of sociology, religion and divinity at Duke University, mentions that same axiom in his conclusions about his latest National Congregations Study:

Congregations have become more ethnically and racially diverse even since
1998, [when] 20 percent of attendees were in congregations that were
completely white and non-Hispanic; in 2006-07, 14 percent were.

Let me be clear about what this means. We do not see significant increases
since 1998 in the proportion of predominantly Latino or Asian or African-
American congregations in the United States. Nor do we see any significant
increase in what we might call deeply diverse congregations…What we do
see is a significant increase in the presence of some minorities in
predominantly white congregations. Fewer congregations, in other words,
are 100 percent white and non-Hispanic.

I do not want to overstate the significance of this trend. It definitely is too
soon to discard the old saw that 11 a.m. Sunday is the most segregated
hour of the week. The vast majority of American congregations remain
overwhelmingly white or black or Hispanic or Asian or whatever…Somewhat
like black-white intermarriage, which is increasing even though it remains
rare, increasing minority presence in predominantly white congregations
represents some progress, however small, in a society in which ethnicity
and, especially, race, still divide us.

Race still divides us in America, even with our election of a black president? You bet. Joe and I have seen it first hand, and perhaps you have too. But is it really an important issue within the church?

I believe it is. If you want to know why, I recommend three books: Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith; United by Faith: The Multiracial Congregation as an Answer to the Problem of Race, by Curtiss Paul DeYoung, Michael O. Emerson, George Yancey, and Karen Chai Kim; and One Body One Spirit: Principles of Successful Multiracial Churches by George Yancey.

Here’s a hint: wouldn’t it be a powerful testimony to the Gospel to be able to say that another place crocs and gators gather is in church at 11 o’clock Sunday morning?

Comments (2) May 11 2009