In and Out of Dodge!

When considering my next destination on Monday, yesterday 8/8 I decided to ride to Dodge City, Kansas. Yes, that Dodge City. No, I didn't see Marshal Dillon, Ms. Kitty, or Festus, but I did learn some great history of the old west and how Ft. Dodge became Dodge City and why they called the burial mound "Boot Hill." Dodge City was once home to the great lawmen of the west, such as Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp.

 

The way I understand it, in the times of the conflicts between the US and Native Americans, the government wanted to deplete the buffalo herds so they invited a hunting "free for all." They thought this would cause the This caused every ragtag hunter within hundreds of miles to decend upon Ft. Dodge. Most of them took a liking to the many saloons. Fights would break out and then be taken to the streets. Someone would end up killed. If they were an unknown or of little means, then they would end up in a mass grave that was called Boot Hill. This was because people were typically buried with their boots on.

Needless to say, I learned a lot in Dodge prior to riding to Tulsa, OK today 8/9. That put me arriving in Tulsa later than I usually like to arrive in the evening. 

Today's thoughts are about conflict. Why is it, throughout American history, that we resolve conflict with violence. I'm not talking gun violence specifically, but violence - fighting, stabbing, shooting, hurting, killing... I get the need to protect oneself, but that should be a last resort. I'm talking about the need to be the aggressor, and because something doesn't go your way, then out comes the knives or the guns. It is not the way Jesus taught us to live. As I watched the "mock gunfight" and saw the crowd and little kids being entertained by such violence, I asked myself why and how we as a society have grown toward a passion for violence. I like a action/adventure movie as much as the next person, but having these individuals stage a fight that led to them shooting each other really raked something inside me. I was asking myself, "I stayed for this?"

The night Jesus was arrested, armed guards came to get him. In order to protect Jesus, Peter drew his sword and cut off the priest's high servant's ear. The man, Malchus, probably wasn't armed. The story appears in scripture as follows: "Jesus said to Judas, “Friend, do what you came to do.”Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword." (Matthew 26:50-52) Also read Mark 14:44-47, Luke 22:49-51, John 18:10-11. The story can be found in ALL FOUR Gospels!

What we should be paying attention to in the story is Jesus' actions... Jesus doesn't cheer them on and grab the other sword and start stabbing people, he tells them to STOP and he takes time to heal servant's ear. The point is, Peter was jumping to act first. His temper was flaring and he was not in control of himself. How often does this happen to us in our day and time? 

Challenge to Self: Be aware of the violence around you and remember Jesus' actions.

Challenge to Trinity: Do you have a "quick temper?" Are you one to draw or shoot first and ask questions later.