Fact vs Fiction: Daniel Boone and Anakin Skywalker
“I am as ignorant as a Child. All the Religion I have is to Love and fear God, believe in Jesus Christ, Do all the good to my Neighbors and Self that I can…and trust in God’s mercy for the Rest.”
– Daniel Boone
It all started with that quote this morning and here I sit, with so many interesting thoughts in my head and heart to convey, especially after the bizarre day in our Nation’s Capitol yesterday…
During this morning’s devotion, when I find a quote I like to look up the person who said it and learn a little about them as well as to actually see what they look/looked like. When I pictured early frontier guy Daniel Boone, I realized all I could imagine was the actor who played him in a TV series ages ago. As I viewed illustrations of him, my mind went into the romanticized notions of Daniel Boone wild frontier man. Immediately I wanted to be sure an image of him wasn’t in some way offensive or his life in general wouldn’t somehow trigger something for folks. Next, was a really new thought process for historical characters such as him… I wonder who he REALLY was? I wonder if he was really who I think he was and how would I be able to know anyway? Right now terms like traitor are being used ad nauseum. One day someone or some group is national hero status and the next villain status. But how do we really know who is who and will we ever get the whole truth?
So fast forward with my thought process here… I realized I absolutely LOVE watching any and all Star Wars related shows with my son Zach right now. I was pretty lukewarm about the series when I was young, but always loved the music and the artistry of the movies. In 2020, watching Mandolorian and other Star Wars related shows AND having Zach there to explain, connect the dots and form a timeline has been a wonderful diversion to the events we are experiencing. I’d prefer this experience rather than watching news on ANY platform right now. Other than the obvious, Why?
Well, first of all, in Star Wars we can count on characters and their nature. I mention the complex Anakin Skywalker (aka: Darth Vader) in particular because while his nature changes (the Force vs the Darkside) we are privy to his character development and still know what to expect…mostly. Other characters are pretty consistent and give me the sense of knowing what I can count on seeing from them. Granted, hindsight IS 20/20 and we can count on it being so. Maybe that is what so unsettling about this time period in our world and the truth being revealed about so many historical figures as well as current people of interest (celebs, politicians, business leaders and athletes). We JUST DON’T REALLY KNOW Fact from Fiction. Who are the GOOD Guys and who are the BAD Guys… and even that concept seems relative to what circles you travel in (ie: politics, religion, geographic location). Some people even refer to what is going on now as watching a movie.
So, was Daniel Boone, the cool outdoorsman with a simple faith and family values, who I think he was? Just read the Wikipedia description of him and you can see the conflict of what he might really have represented and his complexity. Maybe to some he was a folk hero, maybe to others, more like Anakin Skywalker. Truth is, we will never truly know will we? And so it can be said in our world view right now. With that said, where do you focus? More importantly, who do YOU put your faith in? We don’t have the luxury of binge watching to see what happens in the end. Will you build your character, change your character or simply judge other’s character? Let me ask the question again… Who or What Do YOU Put Your Faith In?
I firmly believe when we put our faith in people, politics, policies, buildings and institutions, then we are setting ourselves up for failure at some point. People and things are all fallible and we are not guaranteed anything about a consistent behavior or character. (ie: even the constitution seems up for grabs) Faith, in my belief, goes far beyond what we can see, touch and count on upon life on this earth. We can’t empirically prove God (although some claim they can), faith in a creator beyond our reason brings me peace in the chaos. Peace comes not from the belief, but the ongoing relationship: time invested in knowing God. #faithhabits To keep it simple, and in the spirit of Daniel Boone’s quote today, consider Loving God, Loving One Another (whether or not you agree with them), Doing Good to others and for yourself… and simply put your faith in God rather than the actors in front of us right now.
Thank you for indulging my morning musings.
Much Love and Prayers for a Healthy and Prosperous 2021!
Tara
Action:
- Take time to ponder and write down the answer to the questions “Who or What Do YOU Put Your Faith In?” and “Why?”
- I’d love to hear your thoughts and musings on this as well.
#ImaginePowerful #Faithhabits #DanielBoone #AnakinSkywalker #faith #whodoyouputyourfaithin
