Hocking Hills Caves
John Miller
12/28/20
- Windstream Mail
R E F L E C T I O N S Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith - 12/28/20 _____________________________________________________________________ "When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns." - I Sam. 13:6 |
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The Hocking Hills region in southeastern Ohio is replete with cliffs, rock formations, and caves. This image was taken inside one of the caves that has historically provided shelter for various individuals and groups in past centuries. Caves have always served that purpose. Even the early Christians in Rome hid in underground catacombs to escape persecution and to worship in safety. In many ways, times have changed. We no longer hide in caves to escape notice, we now build elaborate buildings to create notice. Instead of being persecuted, we now are mainly ignored. Instead of contrasting with the world, we now look for ways to conform to the world. At one time we used caves as places to retreat from the world in order to encourage one another and build up our faith before returning to the world in order to change it. Now we retreat to our churches in order to feel good about ourselves and to isolate ourselves from the world. But light is given to confront darkness, not to hide from it. The early Christians left their caves because the gift they had been entrusted with, the gospel, was more precious to them than their own safety. The good news of what God has done for us in Jesus is not something that is to be shared only with those who have already embraced it, but is something that the whole world desperately needs to hear. As our Lord has told us, light hidden under a basket does no one any good at all. So, let us use our caves as they were intended as places to recharge, but not to live in forever. If light is confined to caves the world will suffer in darkness. - John
