Mount Whitney

 

 

If you have to ask, you will never know. If you know, you need only to ask.

 

Calling all Lions!

Simple Acts

Zion National Park posted this picture from a summer storm that blew through the canyon last night, and I couldn't help but share it.  Zion Canyon is one of my favorite places on earth, and it's not hard to see why from vistas like this.  Canyons like this aren't made overnight.  It takes lifetimes of water cutting through the sandstone to create works of art such as Zion.  Seeing this picture, and pondering on its wonder, reminded me of a story that teaches me many things, but one in particular that parallels this thought in particular.

 

Naaman was a powerful general leading a vast army when Joram was King of Israel; however, he was struck with leprosy, and he tried to do all in his power to prevent the disease from destroying the life he had built and enjoyed.  This desperation led him to ask the prophet at the time, Elisha, for assistance, and he was sorely disappointed when a messenger was sent telling him to wash seven times in the Jordan River and he would be made clean.

 

He was upset that the prophet himself didn't come to cure him; he was upset that the Jordan river wasn't even the cleanest or mightiest river of the region; he was upset that the task required of him was so simple...washing 7 times in the Jordan River.  However, with the help of his servants, he overcame his pride and he did as was asked, and as promised he was made clean. (2 Kings 5:10-14)

 

How many times do we overlook the small and simple tasks looking instead for the grandeur and prestige of something greater?  Many times we face defeat, in whatever we pursue, because we did not tend to the tiny details that end up mattering the most.  7 times Naaman had to wash himself in what he considered a "dirty" river in order for him to find success; how many centuries has it taken the Virgin River to perform its magic in cutting out Zion Canyon? It is not in great deeds, but in the accumulation of repeated simple acts wherein rest the sweetest blessings.

 

Calling all Lions!

Weakness:Strength

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Ether 12:27

 

Calling all Lions!

Home: The Fount of Power

The gentleman devotes his efforts to the roots, for once the roots are established, the way will grow therefrom.  Being good as a son and obedient as a young man is, perhaps, the root of a man's character.

- Confucius; Analects 1:2

 

We have read, studied and witnessed the decline and decay of numerous societies that, in time, removed themselves from greatness through self-destructive practices.  What brings staying power? How can societies and nations grow, flourish and remain?

 

The answer lies within the family!  Within the mutual respect and love that should exist between a mother and father, a parent and child! Those who learn courtesy, consideration, respect, civility, selflessness, control and industry within a home carry those qualities with them throughout their lives and into their broader worlds as they grow older. S. Michael Wilcox said the following on the topic:

 

Our culture will survive only if the  roots of permanent and lasting human relationships are fostered, nurtured and refined in the homes of its people...If we would bless and heal our society, our gaze need reach no farther than our own walls.  What kind of people will we send into the broader world from the moral schoolhouse of our homes?

 

Ghandi probably summed it up best by saying, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

 

What is happening within our own homes today?  What can we change inside our own walls that reflects the changes we wish to see on a national or global stage?

 

Calling all Lions!

Of Dust and Nations

Of Dust and Nations 

the towers that shoulder your pride

the words you’ve written in stone

sand will cover them, sand will cover you

the streets that suffer your name

your very flesh and your bones

sand will cover them, sand will cover you 

so put your faith in more than steel

don’t store your treasures up, with moth and rust

where thieves break in and steal

pull the fangs from out your heel

we live in but a shadow of the real 

step out from time, see the dust of nations

step out from time, hear the stars ovation 

saturn will not sleep, until the sand has made us clean

still we stack our stones and bury what we can

but it all will be undone, and nothing built under the sun

will ever stand before the endless march of sand 

Guess I’ll start off saying that there are many songs that have huge emotional ties to my love of Thrice and especially Dustin; however, this one in particular has true staying power, and as such I wanted to share it and it's message with you today. 

Dustin starts the song out by talking about achievements of men (towers built; statues and monuments erected), and is quick to relay the message of the song: These things will fail.  There is no if, ands or buts about it, eventually nothing upon which man can create in and of himself will stand the test of eternity. As such, it is our call to look for something more.  Insert the imagery that only Dustin can weave into a song. 

First image is that of the sand literally and physically bearing not only the achievements of men, but us as well.  Sand, in this instance, is not only the earth that will eventually bury all of us, but also representative of time.  Think not only of the image of sand running through an hourglass, but also a fistful of sand.  It is very difficult to hold onto as it slips and spills out despite your best efforts.  In fact, the harder you try to hold onto it the faster it seems to manage to escape your grasp.  Everything the world can offer you, “towers to shoulder your pride,” will do nothing to satisfy the inner desire for peace; to have the knowledge of knowing we’re a part of something more.

To expand that thought even further, Dustin brings us the first line in the chorus, “So put your faith in more than steel.”  Again, an innocent enough line that when viewed literally conveys the message Dustin wishes you to take; there is more to life than materialistic things.  However, what sets Dustin far above his peers in music is his ability to disguise and hide messages for the soul that chooses to seek it.  Here, I find it extremely telling and powerful that he uses the word “steel”.  Steel is something that man not only uses to build things, but more importantly it represents security.  When we want to build something of strength, long-lasting and even quasi-indestructible we usually think of something having been fabricated out of steel; this serves to drive Dustin’s message home even greater.  Again, there is no true “safety” in the flesh of men; “Sand will cover them, and sand will cover you.”  Dustin’s ability to layer images to deepen the meaning of his message is to me his greatest asset, and this might just be his best effort ever.  Let me explain because yes it does get even better. 

The next lines in the chorus are direct from the Savior’s Sermon on the Mount; Matthew 6:19-20 reads: 

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal 

Now, just as before, the literal lyrics are powerful; however, once again if we look a little deeper an even greater message lies in wait. Musically speaking, Thrice have few other songs (if any at all) that have an ending like this one; it is almost as if Dustin wants you to ponder on the message, and try to unlock the mysteries that lie in wait for one who alleviates himself from the rat race that plague so many.  Like a city dweller who can no longer see the stars in the sky at night, too many no longer realize what they give up in order to race out and have the latest gadget, car, house, clothes, etc.  So, if we take that philosophy into reading that passage in the bible, and cast our eyes but a few verses further we see the overwhelming truth that Dustin is literally preaching to the masses with most of his listeners left none the wiser.  Verses 21 and 24 read: 

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

Traditionally speaking, Christians will hold to the truth that “mammon” would be Satan directly; however, it also refers to idolatry, treasure and worldliness.  Is that not the theme of the song?  On the surface he’s talking about having faith on more than steel, but the true fact is that he’s preaching the Lord’s message that through the accumulation of “stuff” (worldliness) we are becoming an idol people, a fruitless people, and we “will never stand before the endless march of sand” in that state!   

There is one more reference that I think Dustin makes, which to me seals it all up into a message so profound that it cannot be denied.  Before I dive into the last message Dust of Nations leaves us with let me also share one little tidbit.  The last line in the chorus is “we live in but a shadow of the real”.  Dustin is a huge lover of all things C.S. Lewis, and he is famous for referring to mortal life as the Shadowlands.  In fact, it is so well known that his biography even carries that as its title.  So, clearly he finds a way to once again pay subtle tribute to a man he reveres as a giant in Christian philosophy; now onto Dustin’s final dagger. 

After giving us the Lord’s message from the Sermon on the Mount, Dustin once again chooses a very interesting way of painting the final touches on his imagery, “Pull the fangs from out your heels.”  We’ve discussed extensively the fact that point blank the lyrics are powerful, but this might just be the ultimate in layered metaphors.  Why would he make reference to “fangs” and having them plunged into our “heels”?  To me, it is a literal reference to the Garden of Eden, and the fact that Satan himself is the serpent and father of all lies.  Genesis 3:15 reads: 

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 

This is the pinnacle of the image because not only is he encouraging us to have faith in more than men, he is preaching the fact that Satan is behind the whole deception!  It is his venom and poison pouring into our blood with the belief that in order to be happy we must build up storehouses unto ourselves, we must obtain status and stature within society and the biggest lie of all that our happiness is built upon the foundation of how wealthy or successful we are.  His cry and plea carries eternal truth with it… 

Step out from time, see the dust of nations!

Step out from time, hear the stars ovation! 

The heavens are calling to us; they want us to look up, to feel the connection that there is more to life than the physical; that man’s true potential requires his removal from the rat race, and until he can achieve that all is lost…left to eventually lose the battle against the march of time, to be buried in the sand.

 

Here is an absolutely incredible acoustic version of the song.  Listen to it; ponder on the message intertwined in the music, and there's no better way to start the week.

 

Calling all Lions!

 

Great Actions

Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.

- Theodore Roosevelt

 

There are many versions of this thought throughout the spectrum of our society.  Elbert Hubbard addressed it when speaking on friendship, "In order to have friends, you must first be one." In religion, the apostle James teaches us that "...faith without works is dead."  The infamous "Golden Rule" even addresses the fact that it is only through our actions that we not only define who we are, but make a difference in the lives of those around us.

 

In the movie, Batman Begins, there is a scene where Bruce Wayne's childhood friend, Rachel Dawes, sees him for the first time since his return to Gotham.  This is a fantastic scene, and a powerful one that illustrates the vital importance of one's actions; how without them you are nothing.  Her message, and my message to you today...

 

It's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you.

 

 

How is your life defined today? 

Calling all lions!
 

 

 

Raw Beauty and Power

There is a place where Brasil, Paraguay and Argentina all connect in one spot; it is a junction where the Iguacu River joins the Parana River.  A short distance upstream from this international divide is one of nature's wonders...As Cataratas do Iguacu or as we know it in English, the Iguazu Falls.

I have had the pleasure of experiencing this natural phenomenon in person, and it is something that you really have to witness firsthand to truly appreciate it.  As you can see above it is easily one of the widest waterfalls in the world, but ranks first in the fact that it displaces over 12,000 cubic meters of water per second.  The sheer power of that much water flowing over the edge creates such a force that as you walk out on the bridge (you can see it in the lower righthand of the picture above) to look over what is known as the Devil's Throat, you literally could be knocked over if you're not careful.  It is a thing of beauty that was just recently recognized as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

Another distinctive feature of the falls is the fact that there are many islands dotting the landscape, and depending on water levels Iguacu can actually spread to up to 300 individual falls in this one location. Because of this, Iguacu Falls loses out to the Victoria Falls in Southern Africa for largest singular curtain of water in the world, and it is on this specific distinction that I wish to comment today.

Pictured above is the Itaipu Dam, the largest Hydroelectric Dam in the world.  It begins at the foot of the falls, and extends down just upstream from the point of Argentina, Paraguay and Brasil coming together.  It produces 90% of all the power consumed in Paraguay, and 19% of what is consumed in all of Brasil (keep in mind that Brasil is a land mass slightly bigger than our own in the US.)  Itaipu is a pillar and example to all of what a focused concerted effort can produce.

We have been blessed with the same raw power and potential inherent in the Iguacu Falls.  Yes, it is beautiful to behold; however, when inspected closely the splintered results leave one imagining what might or could be if it was focused and harnessed into one massive flow.  The result can actually be witnessed in the Itaipu Dam, and shows each one of us what our potential can be should we choose to harness that power stirring within each of us; what we can achieve if we apply our minds and focus on a singular goal and purpose; and ultimately what we can become if we consistently implement that level of effort.

We are a beautiful creation, each one of us individually, which in and of itself is commendable and noteworthy; however, it is only in tapping into that power and potential that we truly become immortal as was quoted yesterday...not only enduring, but conquering and prevailing!  So, the choice is left for you to decide...to merely maintain status quo, allowing the distractions of the day to carry you to and fro through life aimlessly and without purpose...or will you find the strength to center your thoughts, actions and being into something more....what will you choose?!

Calling all Lions!

Man is Immortal

I decline to accept the end of man. It is easy enough to say that man is immortal because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that even then there will still be one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking. I refuse to accept this. I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail! He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance.

The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.

-William Faulkner

Those were words given by William Faulkner as he accepted his Nobel prize in 1950.  I would never claim to be comparable to a Faulkner, or even a poet/writer in general, but I echo his words today as I believe we do have a soul capable of compassion, sacrifice and endurance beyond our wildest dreams...every one of us!  My hope is that this may once again become a place where we can hear that voice which helps us all endure and prevail.

Calling all lions!

Renewed Commitment

It has been far too long since I posted or consistently maintained this blog, but with renewed fervor I vow to return.  Calling all lions...who will heed the call?!