Day 15 and 16 (Memorial Day) Harrison, Idaho to Cataldo, Idaho

 

Note-I am sorry for the strange formatting and font color in my previous posts.  I have tried to correct them with little success.  My technical incompetence is a source of not a little  self-loathing which I struggle to transcend.  I am relying on your kind patience.

 

Day 15 and 16 (Memorial Day) Harrison, Idaho to Cataldo, Idaho

“If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors.  With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces bot the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we them in.

-Frederick Buechner

    I remained in Harrison well into the afternoon.  I am grateful to the Harrison Community church for the space and internet access which allowed me to write and to plan the next few weeks.  The afternoon gave me an opportunity to chat with several people who have been attracted to Idaho.  There is a rugged individualism which defines this beautiful place.  Most of the people with whom I have spoken value an independence from commercial and political interests which would like to capitalize on their lives.  I have witnessed great kindness and support for those who in need of assistance (including me).  

     Before leaving the East Coast I re-read Reinhold Neibuhr’s book The Irony of American History. Though the book was written 70 years ago it describes beautifully many of the forces which define our current century.  Neihbuhr maintains (and here I summarize much) that those who define themselves as “conservative” have a high view of human nature.  Such persons believe that if you remove external behavioral constraints most of us will be ruled by our better angels.  The invisible hand, which Adam Smith governs a healthy economy, is consistent with Neihbuhr. 

     On the other hand, self described  “liberals” have a very low view of human nature.  Such persons believe that in the absence of behavioral constraints we will destroy ourselves.  One’s life experience and historical context will shape how we view the human condition.  My formative years were shaped by segregation, Viet Nam, and Watergate.  It has become hard for many in my generation to trust those in authority.  Over and against this, I have enjoyed the support and encouragement of loving parents and an economically stable childhood.  I have received an excellent education (paid for by others) and have been edified by the praise and encouragement of educators.  Several times in my life authoritative persons have told me “Well done, good and faithful servant” (though I always question their analysis).  It is also clear to me that I am a beneficiary of historic injustices.  My belief in the fundamental goodness of human nature is tempered by the many dear people in my life who have scarred by the cruelty of others and the indifference of society in general.

    I sense that a polarizing force at work through our media and social movements is that people are made to feel ashamed for trying to articulate their hopes and their values.  The anger many conservative persons have with “political correctness” is that we now live in an environment where we are expelled from the conversation if we utter views which make others feel uncomfortable.   We now live in an environment where it is dangerous to articulate your deep held values for fear of being judged and rejected from public conversation.  Many of us feel like we are walking on eggs and dare not speak the concerns of our heart lest we are expelled from the conversation.  This tragedy often causes us to seek the safety of ideological echo chambers where we find emotional support through our confirmation bias.  It requires courage to publicly state our convictions and our doubts with both honesty and humility.

   I rode along the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene from Harrison heading east.  The bike trail is paved (which is good for my spokes and my back) and beautiful.  I rode the Coeur D’Alene River and beyond the sound of traffic.  I spotted a moose cooling off in the in the river indifferent to my gawking.   There was still snow on the mountain peaks which gave the warm air a unique kind of beauty.

    I camped in Cataldo (there are no other housing options).  The mosquitoes were fierce, so I dove into my tent as the sun was setting and had an early night.  When I struggled out early the next morning there were two gentlemen sipping on coffee.  They invited me to join me in a cup of local coffee enhanced with shitake mushrooms.  They introduced themselves as Ron and Shane and they spend a large portion of the year in this campground.  I discovered there was a community of folks who call the campground home.

     They were welcoming of me and seemed impressed with my bike pilgrimage.  We spoke of the state of the country and the breakdown of civility.  We shared our frustration over “news” sh which programs presented solely the purpose of making people feel anger and fear.  We discussed how much of what passes for news is an attempt to make the audience feel virtuous about hating someone.

    Among the topics discussed was the gun culture in Idaho.  They both carry guns regularly as do the other people in the campground.  When I inquired as to why, they shared their belief that responsible gun ownership was instrumental in becoming a more civil society.  In our conversation they stated their belief guns are the last resort in a conflict.  All citizens need to develop the discipline to effectively use proportional means of responding to adversarial situations.  They shared that it is prudent to develop constructive communication skills as the first response to adversarial overtures.  It is also necessary that one develop the ability to use non-lethal force if attacked by an unarmed person.  The universal acceptance of these rules of engagement, they maintain, adds to our civility.  They both have a very high view of goodness of the average person.

    I found no anger or fear in their explanation.  Their kindness and willingness to speak with me surprised me.  We chatted for over an hour.  Though I would never own a gun, and I feel anxious being among people who do, I did find merit in their argument.

   They shared that they would find it natural to wear a concealed weapon in church.  When I pressed them on why would someone do such a thing, they responded by asking me “why wouldn’t you?”  I was so surprised by the question that I was not able to quickly with an answer.  On my bike trip for the rest of the day and answer came to me.

    One of the names we give to a church building is “sanctuary”.  A sanctuary, by definition, is a place where no weapons are allowed.  We lay our weapons down at the door as we enter into such a space.  We can pick them up as we leave, but we are to enter a sanctuary unarmed.  This applies not only to guns and swords, but also to language of sarcasm and contempt.  There are many weapons which serve us in our lives.  The political leverage, economic pressure, social power are all weapons we also leave at the door.  We enter naked and vulnerable.  This requires great courage.  Methinks we are in great need of having more sanctuary space where we can articulate our dreams and values with hope, humility, intellectual curiosity, and love.  In the sanctuary there are no television cameras or spin doctors.  In the sanctuary we are not rendered winners or losers.  In the sanctuary, we become more human and see with frightening clarity that every human being is a child of God.

    Perhaps I express a naiveté rooted in my secure upbringing.   I have never personally experienced a dangerous situation which I would be rendered safe by the introduction of firearms.  I can understand how those scarred by unpredicted violence might respond differently.

    Shane asked if he could pray with me as I was departing Cataldo to head for Kellogg.  I gladly agreed and said that he and Ron would be reading this blog post.  I do hope that I have represented them fairly.  Today will be a shorter ride which allows me to take in the beauty of the scenery without feeling so annoyed with my bodily limitations.