Life Lessons from the National Parks

March 8, 2012

The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.  Habakkuk 2:20

In my last post, I mentioned Haleakala’s awesome sights. Today I want to mention this national park’s other outstanding feature—silence.

In the Smithsonian article I referenced, the author opens the piece musing on the park’s solitude:

Entering Haleakala Crater, the enormous mouth of Maui’s largest volcano, in the Hawaiian Islands, feels like an exercise in sensory deprivation. At the crater floor, a desolate expanse of twisted, dried lava reached after a two-hour hike down a trail carved into its wall, the silence is absolute. Not a breath of wind. No passing insects. No bird songs. Then I thought I detected drumming. Was it the ghostly echo of some ancient ritual? No, I finally realized, it was my own heartbeat, thundering in my ears.

In 2008, National park Service acoustic experts found that the ambient sound levels within Haleakala crater were near the very threshold of human hearing.

 Wow!

Silence can be maddening or creepy, or it can be soothing. “If you spend any time at all inside Haleakala,” notes Kiope Raymond, associate professor of Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawaii Maui College, in the article, “you will be overcome by what Mark Twain called its ‘healing solitudes.’ It induces tranquility and encourages reflection.”

I too discovered that at Haleakala. While I didn’t go down into the crater, as I stood atop the summit, I was filled with the majesty and power of God in this awesome and quiet place. Really, it was too much to take in. All I could do was experience a mere hint of those qualities. Definitely a “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) moment.

We all need quiet in this noisy world. But we can’t live forever on a mountaintop or in a valley with only God and ourselves for company, so we need to find it whenever and wherever we find ourselves. And God promises to provide that rest and peace, those “healing solitudes” we crave, even in the midst of chaos.

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28, 29

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Lasting peace isn’t found in a place, but in a Person. I pray we all will be able to enjoy special spots of quiet in our travels, but more importantly, that we’ll be able to revel in the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding,” (Philippians 4:7) wherever we are, provided freely for the asking by the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) Himself.

He not only lives in Haleakala, but right beside us.

Comments (4) Mar 08 2012

May 24, 2010

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life: Whom shall I dread?…Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident. Psalm 27:1, 3

Well, one person noticed that I didn’t post to my blog last week (thank you, Cousin Sue!). But that’s okay. I’ve been hard at work writing an article for the September issue of New Jersey Monthly on the former Nike missile sites here in the Garden State. There are several, including the one down the Shore at Sandy Hook, Gateway National Recreation Area, where I got my own personal tour! (The best preserved Nike site is also under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, at San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area—I’ve never been there, but after doing this article, I’m itching to visit!).

Nike missiles were considered the U.S.’s last bastion of defense from the mid-‘50s through the ‘70s. Over 200 bases were arrayed in circles around major cities and military bases. The Ajax, the first surface-to-air missile (SAM) developed, moved at twice the speed of sound and could take out a single target. Hercules, the more potent second-generation SAM, contained a nuclear warhead. The interesting thing about these missiles is that they were situated not out in the middle of nowhere, but near towns, farms and houses—and most people never had a clue about the tremendous force located in their backyards.

And isn’t it amazing—every day we have the world’s mightiest Power (Psalm 24:8) even closer than that, and yet we still act afraid.

That’s why I like to read Psalm 27 when I’m feeling particularly weak. It comforts me to know that 1) I’m not alone in my panic, alarm and trepidation—I mean, if David, whom God calls a “man after My heart” (Acts 13:22), has to remind himself to place his trust in God, then why wouldn’t I?—and, 2) I can be sure of the outcome of whatever struggle I’m up against just because the Lord of all is in control, not me.

Nike missile bases were deactivated in the ‘70s because of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks with the U.S.S.R., and the Cold War era officially came to an end with the Soviet Union’s collapse. Today, there’s still plenty to be afraid of, though some worries wear different faces these days, while others—money, kids, health, etc.—continue.

But the Savior is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and you and I can confidently call upon Him to be “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1), no matter what enemy we face.

Comments (1) May 26 2010