Sunday, January 6, 2008

Parson Sam Blane in Hope (Episode 1)

I.

His horse at full gallop, the tall stranger with eyes as dark as midnight rode in an arrow-straight line toward Abilene.

In the black of night, the stranger felt the persistent rhythm of the animal’s long, swift strides. Keeping his head down, the brim of his hat partially guarded his face from the brisk, chilly wind.

After more than a mile, he reined in and the horse slowed to a steady lope. After another mile, the stranger reined in, again. The animal slowed to a walk, and both horse and rider relaxed a bit.

The stranger’s trail had been hard and very long. Genuine urgency had quickened the relentless pace of the trip. Still, the stranger had been careful to stay within his own endurance limits, as well as within those of the high-spirited beast beneath him.

The stranger smiled briefly in approval as the darkness over the plains began to lift. He saw the sun’s fiery red reflection off of high, wispy clouds in the east.

The stranger always welcomed the precise moment when the sun peaked over the horizon. This morning, he especially anticipated the dawn that would bring warmth to what had been a chilly night.

The rays of the sun crawled along the ground, gradually engulfing the grasslands in yellow-gold light and banishing the darkness that had shrouded the stranger’s trail. Even now, in the wee hours of the morning, he felt a tinge of the sun’s soothing warmth. He stretched his arms and shoulders and straightened his back, causing him to sit a bit taller in the saddle.

He kissed at the air and lifted the reins, “Get up.”

The horse accelerated to a trot. When the animal felt a touch of spurs, he continued to accelerate to a canter.

The horse kept the easy pace for nearly half an hour. When his master reined in, he came to a halt, enjoying the flush of hot blood to his legs and chest.

To the north, the stranger could see Abilene. He sat still in the saddle for several minutes, allowing the animal to catch his breath.

The tall stranger with eyes as dark as midnight scanned the entire landscape to the east and to the west. When he twisted in the saddle and looked behind him, he visually scanned slowly and deliberately. Nothing moved.

He pulled the six-shooter from his holster and checked the load. Then he holstered the weapon and again lifted the reins. “Let’s go, boy.”

Although he had never been to Abilene, he had prepared thoroughly for the trip. Now, on a spring morning in 1873, the tall stranger with eyes as dark as midnight reviewed what he knew about the town.

Abilene, Kansas, was a town in transition. Its history was that of a rip-roaring cow town with a reputation for wild lawlessness. Two major events, however, had recently occurred that had dampened the town’s turbulent disposition.

The first major event was the relocation of the shipping terminal for the longhorn cattle drives from Texas. Wichita was now the primary shipping center.

Abilene’s loss of the prosperous cattle business was due in part to its accelerated growth. As Abilene and the surrounding area had become more populated, grazing lands became scarcer. Also, many of the settlers objected to the pasturing of the great herds in the vicinity.

The primary reason, however, for Abilene’s loss of the cattle trade was the completion of the Santa Fe Railroad facilities at Wichita. Now the stronger competitor, Wichita had shipped about 80,000 head of cattle in 1872 alone.

From 1867 to 1872, Abilene was known as the “Cowboy Capital.” More than three million head of cattle had been driven up from Texas on the Chisholm Trail.

By 1871 as many as 5,000 cowboys were often paid off during a single day. This circumstance led to the town’s deserved reputation as a rough-and-tumble town of the West. Now, however, the cattle drives to Abilene had ended.

The second major event that contributed to the taming of Abilene was the appointment in 1871 of a no-nonsense, 33-year-old Marshal named James Butler Hickok.

Whereas Abilene had been wild and rough in the recent past, now, in early 1873, the town was seeking its equilibrium. Although still untamed at times, Abilene, nevertheless, had begun to mature and settle down.

The tall stranger with eyes as dark as midnight continued to ride toward Abilene.

II.

Some women who fit the mold of what society terms “pretty” quickly learn they can have their desires met easily. Sometimes their demands on others, therefore, tend to increase until they become arrogant and impossible to please.

In this sense, being “pretty” is a curse, because the circumstance tends to produce the attitude that what one receives is an entitlement, rather than the product of one’s efforts

No one would ever deny that 23-year-old Julie Weber was pretty. Her smooth complexion, high cheek bones and huge blue eyes caused men to peer longingly. Her 5’7” frame had curves in all the right places and her long, naturally blond hair had caused many men to turn and stare.

But Julie Weber had never given in to the temptation to become arrogant and impossible to please. Instead at an early age, she had given her heart, mind, and soul to Jesus Christ. She cherished the divinely inspired words of St. Paul when he wrote in 2 Corinthians; Chapter 5 and Verse 15: Christ died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from the dead so that they would live for him.[1]

“So, tell me, pretty lady. Where are you headed in this godforsaken country?” The words spewed out of the elderly man’s mouth like bad whiskey.

“Sir,” Julie said, “I would appreciate your calling me ‘Miss Weber.’ And whether you know it or not, God can be found in every part of this country. If you look at it in the right way.”

The elderly man cocked his head back and waggled it from side to side. “Well, aren’t we Miss Prim and Proper!”

The stagecoach rolled over a pothole in the trail and all four passengers were thrown up and down in their seats.

“You’ll have to excuse my husband, Miss Weber,” the woman sitting beside the elderly man said. “He was shot in the head in the war and the bullet is still lodged there. He suffers from terrible headaches. He drinks to ease the pain.”

Julie shifted her gaze to the elderly man, who held a flask in his hand. Unable to help it, she tried to see a scar, or mark, or wound where the bullet had entered. No scar, however, was visible. She concluded the wound was either under his hat or in the back of his head.

“How terrible,” she said. “I apologize if I sounded snippy.”

A slight smile came to the thin lips of the elderly man. He touched the brim of his hat. “I apologize for being so familiar, Miss Weber. However, if I may ask again: Where are you headed?”

“I’m on my way to Abilene. But ever since I got on this stagecoach I’ve been wishing I had taken the train. I had the notion I would see more of the countryside by coach.”

“Well, take a look out the window, Miss Weber. See the rolling plains? Now multiply that by thousands, and that’s what this country is like.”

Despite herself, Julie could not help but smile. She nodded, “Yes, I see.” She folded her hands in her lap. “I could have seen all I needed to see from the train, huh?”

The man sitting beside Julie glanced at her and asked, “If you don’t mind my asking, Miss Weber, why are you traveling to Abilene?”

“I’m going to teach school there.”

“Oh, that’s right. Bonnie Somerset is retiring.”

The stagecoach rolled over another pothole and again all four were bounced up and down.

“I don’t know about that,” Julie said, straightening her hat. “I answered a classified in the newspaper and they hired me.”

“Yes, that’s it. Bonnie is retiring. She’s quite old, you know.”

“Tell me about the school and the children, won’t you?”

“I don’t know much about the school. The wife and I were never blessed with children.”

“I see. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s okay with me, Miss Weber. But I feel sorry for my wife, Agnes. She always wanted children. I suppose that’s part of a woman’s nature: the desire to be a mother.”

“Yes, that’s true for me. Children are so precious. But it’s a big responsibility, too. It’s up to the parents to help form the minds and hearts of their children. What’s the old saying? ‘As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.’”

The man turned and looked at her curiously. “That sounds about right.”

“I think it’s important to educate the young mind. One must encourage a young person’s vision of how to fulfill his potential by contributing to society in a positive way. Don’t you agree?”

“Miss Weber, I believe you will make an excellent teacher for our school.”

Julie blushed. “Thank you. But I must confess, this is my first teaching assignment, and I’m a bit nervous.”

“Miss Weber, I wouldn’t worry about a thing. I think you’ll do just fine.”

III.

Marshal Hickok had just finished his second cup of coffee when Deputy Mitchell opened the door and stuck his head in. “Morning round is complete, Jim. Everything’s fine. I’ll be over at Riley’s. He said he got a shipment in of those new Colt pistols. I want to take a look at one.”

“Don’t forget,” Hickok said. “That new school teacher is coming in on the stage today. We want to show her a nice welcome.”

“Yeah, she’s probably as old as dirt and looks just like it!”

“You mind your mouth, son,” Hickok said sternly. “Get on over to Riley’s if you have to. Then get right back. I’ve got some paperwork for you to do.”

“Okay, Jim. Thanks.”

Deputy Mitchell was a young man not yet twenty years old. He was tall and slender and he wore his coal-black hair slicked straight back. He was left-handed and a fast draw. Hickok, however, was careful to keep a tight rein on the lad, because the deputy tended toward recklessness. For Deputy Mitchell, the badge on his chest was a symbol of power that the young man too often used to bolster his ego.

With time and experience, Hickok figured, Deputy Mitchell would learn to respect the authority behind the badge. He had counseled the lad on that very subject numerous times. Still, Hickok worried about his protégé. In this town, there were just too many ways a man could get killed.

Deputy Mitchell was about to enter Riley’s Gun Shop when something made him stop and look.

Seeing Deputy Mitchell through the window, Joe Riley walked out. “Come to see one of those new Colts?”

When Deputy Mitchell did not answer, Riley turned to see what had caught the young deputy’s attention.

The horse’s hooves puffed the dust on the main thoroughfare. The stranger who sat tall in the saddle was unconcerned with the stares of several onlookers, including Deputy Mitchell and Riley.

“Who is that?” Deputy Mitchell asked.

“Never seen him before.”

The words were exchanged while both men continued to watch the rider.

“Gunfighter?” Deputy Mitchell asked.

“Somehow I don’t think so. Could be, though.”

“I think I’ll find out.”

Riley put his hand on the deputy’s arm. “Careful, son. Something tells me he’s dangerous.”

Deputy Mitchell turned his head and looked down at Riley’s hand on his arm. Seeing this, Riley said, “I mean it, boy. Be careful with this fella. Understand?”

“Take your hand off my arm, Joe. You’re giving me the willies.”

“Why don’t you let Hickok handle this?”

“I can handle this,” Deputy Mitchell said indignantly.

“Son, you still got a lot of learning to do. I’m going to get the Marshal.”

Deputy Mitchell pulled his arm out of Riley’s grasp. “There’s no need to bother the Marshal!” Then he turned and walked along the wooden-plank sidewalk. All the while, he curiously watched the stranger.

At the Alamo Saloon, the stranger pulled up and dismounted. He was tying his horse to the hitching rail when Deputy Mitchell crossed the street.

At twenty paces, Deputy Mitchell called out, “Can I help you, stranger?”

The stranger lowered his head and stared sideways at the ground. Deputy Mitchell walked up to a spot where, had he taken another step, the stranger would have been looking at his boots.

The stranger did not speak, did not move.

Deputy Mitchell was confused by the stranger’s lack of response. “I said, can I help you?”

Again, the stranger did not speak, did not move.

“Hey, Mister, I’m talking to you!”

TO BE CONTINUED

Comment on HOPE (Episode 1)

Some people are awestricken when they look out upon the Earth, the Moon, and the stars. They point to the idea that life is the creative work of an all-powerful and majestic God. Others, like the elderly drunkard in the story, see the world as gray and bleak. Their attitude proclaims that life inspires no meaning, no enthusiasm, and no beauty. Yet, the Earth, the Moon, and the stars are the same.

What accounts for the difference in perspective between those who see the world as an infinite display of wonder and those who view the world as a vast, undifferentiated wasteland?

Logic says that, since the external world is the same, the difference between the two views must lie within the individual.

When we meet someone who always seems to grate on our nerves, we tend to blame the person. If the person, however, actually possessed the character trait of grating on people’s nerves, then everyone who came in contact with that individual would feel irritated. We know, of course, that someone who happens to irritate us also gets along perfectly fine with some others. The difference? Again, the distinction between how we react to an individual and how someone else reacts to the same individual lies within us.

That which specifically determines how we experience the world, others, and all of life is our beliefs. Beliefs structure experience. When someone irritates us, for example, the root cause of our irritation is not the person. Rather it is the belief we hold about the person. To change our reaction to the person, all we need do is change the belief within us that causes our irritation toward that person.

The elderly drunkard in the story saw the endless plains as “godforsaken.” Julie Weber saw the same endless plains and
declared “…God can be found in every part of this country. If you look at it in the right way.”

So, what is the right way to look at the Earth, the Moon, and the stars, and others, and life itself? To put it another way, what beliefs should we adopt and hold dear so as to structure our experience of life in the right way?

If you were to look to me to give you the answer, you would be making a big mistake. If you were to look to other people to give you the answer; similarly, you would be making a big mistake. Only when you look to the true source of life, He who created it, will you find the right answer. Fortunately for us, the Creator of all things has chosen to reveal himself in his Word, the Holy Scriptures as contained in the Bible. "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.” John 3:31 (NIV)

God’s Word has the power to instill and to strengthen true faith. Faith in God, when it is an abiding belief within, structures the right experience of all of life. That’s why Julie Weber was able to announce without reservation that “…God can be found in every part of this country….” The rock-solid, abiding faith within her heart spoke the words for her. “…those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart….” Matt 15:18 (KJV)

So then, what is the right way to experience the Earth, the Moon, and the stars?

Ps 89:11
11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. (NIV)

Heb 1:10
10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (KJV)

Let us, therefore, always be conscious of the fact that when we observe the beauty of nature it is something even more than what it appears to be. It is, in fact, the observable evidence that proves there is the God who created it.

Heb 11:3
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (NKJ)

And, as to others (even those who remind us of our belief that such people irritate us), we can view them for who they truly are: either children of God, or those who are in dire need, because they have not repented and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Matt 7:12
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (NIV)

Luke 10:27
27 He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
(NIV)

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[1] New Century Version