A "tribe" of hundreds sat quietly in anticipation as the sun was setting over the distant forested hills of western Arkansas. The heat was still sweltering, but with the great sense of expectancy it went unoticed. Suddenly the call of some strange bird, perhaps the whippoorwill, broke the heavy silence with its eerie call. Then from the opposite direction, another one answered back. The river winding before us was as still as the air, but then, slicing throught the air came flaming arrows. They came from behind the trees on the left side of the clearing, and landied harmlessly into the river before us.
The slow, steady pounding of a large drum made our hearts skip a beat, and the sight of a canoe occupied by three Indian chiefs made the tribe gasp in awe. An indian dressed only in buckskin pants, in the front of the canoe held a flaming torch that lit up his befeathered silhouette. The warcraft made its way up to the other side of the river where the lead chief held out the torch and suddenly the outline of a very large arrow burst into flames. Then the canoe was rowed straight over to the clearing where we were now standing. The three mysterious native American figures disembarked from the craft. Each deliberate step was accentuated by the pounding drum as the three chiefs came and stood before us.
Alright, so I'm no Louis Lamour, but the final campfire at boyscout camp last week was really quite cool. And this particular camp near Mena, Arkansas did a wonderful job of recreating the sights, and sounds of a time long ago. Which I feel is truly the only way you can begin to understand people, their lives, and history itself. You have to imagine, and understand what their experiences were, without all the bias and experience of a modern lense of understanding and "enlightenment". America's native tribes, and pioneers were a people of strong, hardy disposition and drive. They became a part of the land and recognized God's providence in every aspect of their lives.
What about you and I? Are we not called to be "Pioneers of the faith?" Today's modern culture is as dark and untamed as the New World was to our forefathers of long ago. We must have the same drive and determination in order for our faith to perservere in this vast spiritual wilderness. We must be a people of vision, strength and grace in order to fully realize our dreams and our calling in this life. God has called us to reach every nation, every tribe, and every tongue with his Word, and yet we live right next door to people who have no idea who Jesus is or what the conseqences are without Him in their lives.
Forge ahead. Blaze a trail. Carry the message with you WHEREVER you go, even if its just across your backyard to that neighbor you know doesn't go to church anywhere. Do it with love and understanding, do it with grace, but carry the truth. In this you will be a pioneer helping to establish a great nation, called the Kingdom of Heaven.
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