Lessons Learned While in the Black Hills

This past weekend Marlys and I had the privilege of being in the Black Hills of South Dakota with some of our kids and grandkids. It was truly fun to get away, especially to a place where a person got to make his or her own decisions regarding "to mask or not to mask." And what beautiful weather we had and what a beautiful place to be. Spent time in the Badlands National Park - the barrenness created an austere beauty. One can understand why those rocks garnered the name "badlands." As one gazed upon those vast venues of naked rock formations, the question came to mind: What was God's purpose in creating so much barrenness? We had rented a home just a mile from the entrance to Custer State Park. So, early in the morning, a few of us would drive along the "Wildlife Loop" in search for big game. We were not disappointed. Deer - both mule and white-tail - were in abundance, as were the wild turkeys. And we saw many bison. When you see those bulls up close - I could reach out my hand and almost touch them from the car window - they are massive. As we drove through a portion of the Park's herd, I pictured in my mind what it must have been like 150 years ago when the first pioneers journeyed across those prairies and saw herds of bison that were innumerable. And, as I saw one large bull walk in front of our car, I thought that this animal truly was repesentative of what America's spirit had been: rugged, bold, brave, and resolute. Oh to recapture that spirit. A highlight was the lighting ceremony at Mount Rushmore. I had not been to Mount Rushmore for over 35 years. And I wanted to see it before some deranged thinker tried to destroy it. It is truly a magnificent creation. Four men, as diverse in their circumstances as one could imagine, yet each one contributing to America's story, grace that mountainside. This truly is a place where the patriotic spirit can be rekindled, for it is representative of who America is. I remembered these words from the pen of C.S. Lewis: "Most of all, perhaps, we need intimate knowledge of the past. Not that the past has any magic about it, but because we cannot study the future, and yet need something to set against the present, to remind us that the basic assumptions have been quite different in different periods and that much which seems certain to the uneducated is merely temporary fashion." Those four former Presidents were not perfect - all had flaws, as do we all. Yet each one had a vision of what would make America great. To hold to that vision was not without difficulties, but each man held firmly to that vision. Today our focus is upon a leader's flaws, not upon his vision. When we do this, we endanger our nation's identity. Mount Rushmore was a reminder for me that America's strength comes with the courage of convictions and the boldness of selflessness. Each man represented upon that mountainside is a reminder that strength lies not in "what is good for me," but "what is good for America."