In telling the story of Jesus’ life and death, it had to be awkward to acknowledge that Peter, the lead disciple, publicly disowned Christ in a moment of weakness. Or that another of the select followers, Judas, literally plotted and facilitated the arrest and eventual crucifixion of his faith leader. But in actuality, it is precisely the inclusion of these awkward moments involving the doubting, dense, and disastrous acts of the disciples that make the Bible accounts of Jesus so compelling. It is the honesty of the gospels telling about the failings of Jesus’ disciples that encourages us to trust these biblical authors when we read “the rest of the story.” Those who didn’t hide the ugly truth of denial and betrayal can now be seen as reliable witnesses to the amazing truth of resurrection and renewal after Easter.
One day this past summer I was waiting for Beth when I started reading an out-of-date Smithsonian magazine that happened to be in the waiting room. The lead article was titled “The Lost History of Yellowstone.” Its subtitle was “Debunking the Myth that the Great National Park was a Wilderness Untouched by Humans.” I realized that I had blithely accepted the false American myth that when our national parks were created, they were pristine and unpopulated lands out West thankfully preserved by federal acts of conservation. But Doug McDonald, a professor of anthropology and historian about the Native American presence in the national parks, was quoted as saying, “Pretty much anywhere you’d want to pitch a tent, there are Native American artifacts. Like us, they liked to camp on flat ground, close to water, with a beautiful view.” McDonald is quick to hold up the brochure given to every visitor of Yellowstone that says, “when you watch animals here, you glimpse the world as it was before humans.” Then, with a wry grin, McDonald goes on to say, “I guess the marketing hasn’t caught up with the research,” since there is plenty of evidence of human activity in the parks since the time of mammoths and mastodons.
Much would be lost in the Christian story if we were denied the witness of Peter’s flaws and Judas’ misguided betrayal. We would miss seeing ourselves in the story, with our own sins and struggling efforts to believe faithfully, and we would lose the heart of the gospel that triumphs despite Judas and prospers under the leadership of a contrite-yet-redeemed Peter or a repentant Apostle Paul. In the same way, erasing the presence of Native Americans from the panoramic views of the national parks lessens the power of what we see. It turns a thousand-year shared history into a much shorter timeline lacking cultural richness and potential connections to those who walked the land long before our arrival.
During the month of October, there will be numerous opportunities for us to “fill in the gaps” in our cultural story—to reflect on our global identity on World Communion, to stand up for justice as we commission our Facing Systemic Racism committee, and to participate in Critical Race conversations that shine light on racist parts of our past too long hidden away. All of this belongs as part of our story. Only by listening, telling, reflecting on the full story can we come to appreciate its truth and saving power. And doing such work is the desire of our Savior, who calls us to break our silences and step forward, together, by faith. Thanks be to God!
—Randy Bush