QUARANTINE BLOG # 508

August 20, 2021

The story of Mount Rushmore is not a simple one to tell.  This incredible monument to four American presidents – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln – who represent the nation’s birth, growth, development and preservation, was conceived as an idea to promote tourism in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  In other words, those men and their achievements were merely shills for cheap motels and cheaper souvenir stands.

The darkness behind this incredible creation goes deeper than that.  For the latest occupants of the land, the Lakota Sioux, the monument has come to epitomize the loss of their sacred lands and the injustices they have suffered under the U.S. government.  The U.S. government promised the Sioux the entirety of the Black Hills, in the Treaty of 1868.  That lasted only until the discovery of gold on the land; soon after, white settlers migrated to the area in the 1870s.  The federal government then forced the Sioux to relinquish the Black Hills portion of their reservation.

Mount Rushmore (Lakota Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe, or Six Grandfathers) before carving began.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum created the sculpture’s design and oversaw the project’s execution with the help of his son, Lincoln Borglum.  Jefferson was planned to be on Washington’s right, but unstable granite moved him to the other side.  The original plan was for all of the presidents to be shown down to their waists, but insufficient funding caused the project to end.  Washington’s face was completed and dedicated on July 4, 1934, Jefferson in 1936, Lincoln in 1937, and Roosevelt in 1939.  No other figures have been added because the remaining rock is not suitable for carving although several names have been mentioned: Susan B. Anthony, John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, FDR, and most recently Barack Obama (who said his ears were too large).

Regardless of the controversies behind the sculptures, George Washington’s position on the mountain dominates the “Shrine of Democracy.”

One final memorial to our first president to be presented in this series, and this one without controversy, is George Washington National Forest, carved out of Shenandoah National Forest in 1932.  

Additionally, Jefferson National Forest was designated in 1936 combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States.  The forests cover 1.8 million acres of land in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. 

One of the most beautiful parts of George Washington National Forest is the formation known as Natural Bridge.

Natural Bridge is a geological formation comprising a 215-foot-high natural arch with a span of 90 feet.  Natural Bridge is the remains of the roof of a cave or tunnel through which the Cedar Creek once flowed.  

A fitting close to this story is the notation that George Washington came to the site in 1750 as a young surveyor.  The initials “G.W.” can be seen on the wall of the bridge, 23 feet up, carved by the future president.

👉  We haven’t celebrated a national holiday for a while, so here is one for today: next to chocolate it has to be the best food – bacon.  Today is National Bacon Lover’s Day.

In the United States, bacon refers to meat from the belly of the pig, known as the pork belly.  Bacon from the loin is called Canadian bacon.  To make bacon, the pork is cured using salt, and is then dried, boiled, or smoked.  The smoking of bacon is often done with hickory, mesquite, or maple wood, and flavors such as brown sugar or maple may be added.  More often than not, bacon is pan fried, and it is popular as a breakfast food, in sandwiches like the BLT or club sandwich, as a complement to salads, and in wrapping other foods.  “Bacon mania” has swept the United States and Canada since the late 1990’s.

👉  Today is the birthday of Jacqueline Susann.  She was named the world’s best-selling writer of fiction for her novel “Valley of the Dolls” (1966), which has sold over 31 million copies.  Her work was also immortalized in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

👉  139 years ago today, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture premiered in Moscow.  The piece – which became one of his most popular works – was written to commemorate the successful Russian defense against Napoleon’s invading Grande Armée in 1812.  The 15-minute overture is best known for its climactic volley of cannon fire, ringing chimes, and a brass fanfare finale.  It has also become a common accompaniment to fireworks displays on the United States’ Independence Day.  Here is the closing celebration from July 4, 2014.

👉  Some signs for the times:

👉  Today’s close, “Equipped to Serve,” is by Anne Graham Lotz.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:4-5).

What God commands you and me to do, He equips us for.  It’s that simple!

If you want to discover your spiritual gifts, start obeying God.  Responding to His command with “I can’t” is invalid, because He will never ask you to do something that He has not equipped and empowered you to do.  As you serve Him, you will find that He has given you the gifts that are necessary to follow through in obedience.  Any of them.  All of them.  And if you lack any that you need, God will bring people alongside you who have the gifts that you don’t. Working together, you will accomplish the task to the glory of God.

And that’s the body of Christ!  That’s the church.  Individual members of the family, each obeying his or her call, exercising the particular gifts the Spirit has given, so that our work is not in vain but produces eternal results. So, get to work!  You’re equipped!

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