Things are always changing and that is what makes the familiar a landmark of sorts. Time, place and behavior together are what make combine to make history. History can only shape the future when it is revisited and revered. The genius of Disney is the connecting of generations across the canyons of time. It is why these parks thrive despite the exorbitant amount of capital the average family must pay for the experience.
The park was well attended on this visit and I amused myself by considering the religious fervor of attendees. I have always been a bit taken aback by the devotion of some of my fellow humans to these parks which for some I observe seems more like holy ground than glorified circus. It seems to me that many live to visit these parks as an escape from the painful realities of their lives. There is a timelessness to some of the ride that can take you from a painful present into a simpler past but to live in the past is to be dead in the present. If you never get past the tragedies there can be no true triumphs.
For a long time now America’s public schools have been instructing the youth of our country in the origin of the species. As I look around in my walk through the park I cannot help but marvel at how far the single celled organism has come in it’s never ending quest to entertain itself. I wander through the crowd of my fellow hairless apes and wonder at the futility of our existence. Having come from nothing on our way to oblivion with nothing more than an amusement park separating our beginning from our end. All the chemical induced emotions meant to perpetuate the great cosmic accident for no knowable reason one day decaying in the ground.
That is when I remember that I know a different story of Genesis. One that makes a claim not to be theory but the very words of God the creator. Elohim who gives of our family and a meaning future. The one who inspires us to do the greatest of things. The lovely scenes before me are hollow like a shadow of the creators glory they are a facade but are not pointless. In fact they point God in who’s image we are created and whose works we are designed to do. No matter how misguided in our efforts or how base our motives for laboring mankind will never be able to escape the fact that our reassembly of His creation will always bring glory in the end to Him.
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
(Rom 1:19-25)
As I walked I was aware that each of us has a faith in something but not everything our faith rests upon is true. It is our task to seek the truth throughout our lives and those who have abandoned themselves to relativism have given up the search. What an amazing gift it is to live in a country full of outlandish amusement parks that just so happens for the present to be a place in which it’s citizens are free to worship the truth or a lie as their own conscience dictates.
Life is a vapor.
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
(Jas 4:14-17)
