Crossing a Land so Wild and Savage
Barbara Henderson
Ballads are my favorite type of
song. They tell a story in a memorable
way. Of course the most wonderful ballad
of all time is Amazing Grace. Each verse
tells a specific step of the journey of life.
It has a happy and eternal ending.
Love it. Here is a link to an
article I wrote some time back about that song. http://tobarbara.blogspot.com/2009/03/most-amazing-ballad-of-all-time-is.html
And here is a link to a good singer pouring his heart into the
song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUfe_XX8K0I
And so… recently I was listening to a non-religious
ballad called ‘The Northwest Passage”
This is the chorus…
‘Ah, for just one time I would take
the Northwest Passage
To find the hand of Franklin reaching
for the Beaufort Sea;
Tracing one warm line through a land
so wild and savage
And make a Northwest Passage to the
sea.’
The song tells the story of the search
for a ‘Northwest Passage’, or a way from the east coast of northern North
America to the northern west coast. The
singer looks for the adventure of a lifetime – following in the footsteps of a
previous explorer trying to reach the Beaufort Sea. We can all relate to wanting a little
adventure in our lives. We look at adventures
of people of history and wonder what it would be like to live just a little bit
of that person’s life. The line that
stands out for me in this song is ‘tracing one warm line through a land so wild
and savage – and make a northwest passage to the sea’. And I thought, that is what Christians are
doing, or are supposed to do. We are
supposed to make one warm line leading to Jesus Christ.
From the most civilized land to the
most remote and primitive, the earth is very wild and savage. You think I’m
making that up? Well, I read recently
that no one is ever more than six feet away from a spider. Now that sounds savage to me! This year a deadly drive by shooting at a
parade in New Orleans brought sudden death in place that was expected to be
safe. Deadly tornadoes have been trying
to suck the state of Oklahoma into a black hole. Unborn babies are slaughtered
by the million. Forrest fires are always
raging somewhere. Anarchy or extreme
tyranny reign in some nations around the globe.
We definitely live in a land that is wild and savage. People would like
one warm line leading to true peace and safety.
Wild and savage lands vary depending
on where you are living at the moment.
They require different cautions and preparations. For instance, in a great desert you probably
won’t need to take an umbrella or raincoat each time you leave the house. However, you would do well to have an emergency
water supply whether you are walking or driving. If you are a mountain wilderness type of
person then you need to have the knowledge and tools to survive before you take
an extended journey in wild terrain. If
you must travel through an area of gangs and anarchy a Kevlar body suit and a
lot of firepower would be a good idea.
Most days none of us are trekking into
the wilderness of the Brooks Range to get a good view of the Beaufort Sea. However, each of us is facing a land that is
both wild and savage no matter where we live.
The purpose of this article isn’t really to dwell on the fearsome
environment in which we live. It is to
focus on the tracks we leave as we travel through each day. We want to leave ‘one warm line across a land
so wild and savage’. We want to lead
people to a better place. To do this the
individual Christian must make following our Leader Jesus Christ a priority in
our own lives. The path we walk should
be a path pleasing to God. We walk with
purpose, knowing we are going to a better place; knowing even though we walk
through the valley of the shadow of death we will never be forsaken; knowing
that God’s promises are sure; and knowing that we will never be disowned. Christians are supposed to have a sense of
purpose, and passion to do the things we are called to do. Every Christian is called to the same
generalities. We are called to
obedience. If the Bible says something
is to be done or not done in a certain way, then that is the way we should do
it. The Bible instructs us to be
thankful all the time. It is downright
disrespectful to think God wants us to be thankful for harshness and sorrows,
but in the midst of calamities we can always be thankful for the blessings of
God that remain. Our actions in times of
turmoil can have a big impact on those around us. Our actions in times of peace and plenty in
our lives can also have a big impact on those around us. If we are attempting to make ‘one warm line’,
or a way that stands out as kind and loving to those around us, then we must
choose to be thankful and obedient to God.
Sometimes people look at Christianity
as a whole, or individual Christians, and say, ‘Christianity has failed’
because they aren’t seeing the results they want to see. Exactly how many souls are saved from hell is
not in our hands or the hands of any individual. It is God alone who saves, and there is no
power in heaven or earth that has power to cast into hell or allow into heaven.
Our job is to live our lives in a way that invites others to the God we
worship. How do we do this?
Obviously, it starts in the heart which
is where great deeds and adventures begin.
The explorers who mapped unknown continents had more courage than
fear. When Dr. Livingstone went across
Africa I know he must have had times of fear, but his courage was greater than
his fear. His courage was based on his
faith in God, and that is where the courage of all Christians originates. History tells us that Dr. Livingstone did
trace that ‘one warm line’ through a wild and savage continent filled with
souls who had never heard the good news of Jesus Christ.
It is unfortunate but true that while
many Christian might believe they have the courage to cross an unknown
continent to light the way to heaven through Jesus Christ they don’t have the
courage to light the way when it comes to walking from their home to their
mailbox! Fortunately, somewhere in the
heart of even the faintest true Christian is the dream or idea of doing more
for Christ.
As already mentioned, great deeds
start in the heart. Many people want the chance to do one great deed, but that
isn’t really how God works. He works
with people who do a lot of little deeds every day. He works with people who are obedient to His
commandments throughout the day. They are thankful every day. They are kind every day. This alone puts them in a different category
than most other people. They are people
with purpose. They have their eye on a
specific goal. They want to cross a land that is wild and savage in a way that
entices others to follow them. They want
a well done from God Almighty. As their
pattern for obedience and faithfulness continues God expands what He wants them
to do. That is the way it works.
There is a trend today for people of
God to believe they can travel through life with their Christianity camouflaged
by their worldly actions. A very main
camouflage tactic is to dress like the world.
This happens for two reasons.
First people like the look of the world.
Women want to look hot, and men want to look like someone who could
attract a ‘hot woman’. This is
disgusting. There is a way to dress that
pleases God. They way to tell if you are
dressed appropriately is to stand in front of the mirror and look at
yourself! Ask yourself does this please
God? Ladies – here’s a BIG HINT! If your boobs are hanging out, or your shorts
have the bottom of your butt hanging out, or if less than 5% of your skin is
covered by your swimming suit, then you are not pleasing God. You are attempting to get men to admire your
body. And guys, if you are overly
interested in how good you look without a shirt on then you are not dressing to
please God. You are dressing and
probably obsessing to attract women.
I do not believe there is anything in
the Bible that gives an exact dress code.
We are supposed to wear clothes.
We are supposed to dress modestly.
We should dress in a manner that is appropriate for an ambassador of God
Almighty and an adopted child of the same God Almighty. I’ll give you a couple of examples of two
ladies who had different budgets and different clothing styles. One didn’t wear makeup and the other put on
makeup before she got out of bed in the morning. They didn’t dress overly fancy or overly
plain. They spent what they thought was
an appropriate amount of money on clothes and shoes. They were neat. They were clean. Their hair was consistently
done in a way they liked and found comfortable.
One wore bright colors to the point of gaudy. That lady wore a lot of jewelry. The other lady wore darker colors and
practically never wore jewelry. They both wore dresses to church and some sort
of britches the rest of the time. They
both attended something fancy that required dressing up every few years. They both liked to get out for a picnic or
even overnight camping. They had clothes
for that. They always looked very nice.
In other words there was nothing in their way of dressing that would be
found objectionable or give the impression they were allied with the world even
though their styles of dress were totally opposite. A personal sense of style is a good
thing. These two ladies did not need
anyone to tell them if they were appropriately dressed. They looked in the mirror and their
conscience told them. They were both attractive ladies with an air about them
that suggested helpfulness and kindness. By the way, there is no benefit in the
way some sects require their followers to dress in a particular type of garment. They wind up attracting attention because of
their clothing instead of their actions.
But there is no excuse for women of Christ to dress like women of the
world. Size and age are not measures of
what is and is not appropriate attire.
Something indecent and provocative on a size 14 50 year old woman is
also indecent and provocative on a size 4 16 year old woman. Ladies, get with the program! If you are a child of God then dress like
it. Nobody really wants to see your boobs,
butt, or belly button. It doesn’t matter
if you have the body to be a Victoria’s Secret model. Cover it up!
And then get on with your life.
One more thing ladies; television has set up women who use gutter
language, ogle men, and are basically obnoxious self centered witches (Think
the Rosanne Barr or Golden Girls TV shows) as normal or tough women doing what
they have to do to get by while getting their own way. Don’t fall for that garbage. As a child of God you are better than
that. You are supposed to be an example
to the world on how to behave. You are
not supposed to join the crowd of idiots!
And men, your job is to pay attention
to what God has called you to do. Totally
ignore slutty women!
Christians are most certainly free to
pay attention to their size, to exercise, to follow a healthy diet, to take up
sports, and do what is needed to maintain a healthy life. But if your body becomes your obsession you
have stepped over the line into sin.
There is something called the
Christian work ethic. That means
Christians are supposed to approach all their work whether at home or on a paid
job as people who work within the boundaries set by God for all behavior, do
more than is required of them, and have an over-all ‘get the job done’ and ‘I
don’t care who gets the credit’ attitude.
These are all things that do please
God. You would like to think this work
ethic would get you promotions, raises, and lots of good will from employers
and fellow employees as well. That
really doesn’t happen a lot of the time.
Your ‘well done’ is waiting for you at a later date. Do not grow weary in well doing – for in due
season you will reap if you don’t faint (or quit). That is a promise from God, and He is faithful
to keep His promises.
How many times have you been in a
situation where you did not know which way to go or what to do? Did you feel
like you were trapped in a land that was wild and savage just like the land in
the song? In that time would you have
liked to see ‘one warm line’ leading the way across that wild and savage land? Your duty is to be a leader who shows others
the way. You have a calling. You have a duty. You have a responsibility. Now comes the big questions. Do you have the passion? Do you have courage that is greater than your
fear? You may be saying, ‘What
fear? I’m not afraid of a wild and
savage wilderness.’ OK, then are you
afraid of being different? Are you
afraid you might stand out as a Christian?
Are you afraid of turning down that boys night out even though they
always wind up doing things you really aren’t comfortable doing? Are you ladies afraid of turning down that
ladies night out because it usually turns into a either a gossip party or an
evening spent bashing men in general?
Are you afraid of living a life that might get you called a prude? (See my article on being proud of being a
prude http://tobarbara.blogspot.com/2009/03/become-prude-you-will-be-glad-you-did.html )
If you are truly a Christian, then you
truly have a job to do. Another way to
say make one warm line across a land so wild and savage is, ‘Let your light so shine before men that
others may see God.’ Remember,
people are not going to ‘see God’ if your boobs, butt, belly button, and ripped
muscles, are blocking their view. They
will not see God if your gutter mouth or smart mouth are getting in their way. They
will not see God if your gossipy mouth smokes like a fire breathing dragon. They also will not see God if your selfish
lazy work ethic or attitude dominate your life.
They will not see God if your Christianity is so camouflaged that you
blend in perfectly with the rest of the world. You will not step up to the
plate when you are called for a great mission if you won’t step up to the plate
for simply daily obedience.
It is time for Christians to take God
seriously. It is time for Christians to
do a 180 on any actions that are not in line with God’s instructions and the
boundaries He has set for righteous behavior.
Today is the day to ask ourselves the question, ‘Does the light of God
shine in me so that I lead others to the One who holds the key to everlasting life
– Jesus Christ alone?’
What you do makes a difference – for
good or for evil.
Thank you for reading my article.
