“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Ps. 90:2)
The week’s posts have been mostly positive, in the sense of showing off the beauty of this place. That’s only part of the story. Living in the mountains, one discovers rather quickly the formidable obstacles they can be. Many of our communities are small and detached from one another. Roads, even the good roads, can be treacherous, and when rains and snows come, many roads become impassable. With bad weather, it’s just not worth the risk. The communities can feel isolated and cut-off from each other and the rest of the world.
When the first settlers began coming into these mountains, it was even worse. Settlers tried to use the water routes to make their way. Explorers like Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton sought natural breaks (called gaps) in the mountains. Today, one can visit Cumberland Gap National Park and imagine what it would have been like to travel in these mountains two hundred years ago.
The photos come from Pound Mountain Gap. (The gap straddles the border of Kentucky and Virginia.) I share this picture because the gap has been enhanced by modern technology. A massive undertaking, engineers and construction crews cut through layers and layers of rock to expose the seams underneath. Students come from all over to study the history of the earth’s formation in a way that no textbook can offer. While destructive to earth and environment, I believe most would consider this project an appropriate use of human skill.
The coal mining industry is a little harder to consider. Many of the same technologies are employed, and the process of strip mining is equally destructive to earth and environment. The sides seem to be clearly drawn: pro and con, for and against, black and white. Many of our people proclaim a “War on Coal” and disparage our government’s intervention and regulation. Others struggle just as mightily to end this practice and encourage cleaner and less destructive sources of energy. It’s a hard issue, and seemingly intractable.
The words of the psalm help me. Before the mountains…God. Before the earth was formed…God. Before humankind…God. And I’d add, after all these things…God.
We’re only a small part of God’s creative endeavor that is earth. People struggle endlessly to make their lives and livelihood in this place. Nothing comes easy. My prayer is that the community can focus less on “us” and “them” and find ways to encourage and support one another. Blessings on your day.
