PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

August 8, 2021

RUGGED INDIVIDUALISTS

One of the things I remember from my American History class in High School was the teacher emphasizing the importance of rugged individualists in the development and expansion of America.  Such individuals have the qualities of self-reliance, resourcefulness, and self-direction. She told the stories and adventures of Daniel Boone (Kentucky) and Davy Crockett (Tennessee).  The mystic of Crockett was enhanced by a five part series on ABC staring Fess Parker as Crockett that aired 1954-1955.  Following Boone and Crocket a new crop of rugged individualists took up the task of conquering the west.

Turning to the twentieth century rugged individualism found expression in industry and education.  We learned about Alexander Graham Bell, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Thomas Alva Edison, Henry Ford and the Wright brothers.  Bell was a pioneer in many fields but was especially known for his development of the telephone.  Booker T. Washington was an early American civil rights leader and the first leader of the Tuskegee Institute.  One of the persons he hired was George Washington Carver who did marvelous things with peanuts. Edison has been described as America’s greatest inventor.  While Ford did not invent the car, he developed the assembly line which made them affordable.  We all know the story of the Wright brothers and their flight at Kitty Hawk.  Each generation produced their own unique rugged individualists who help move our country forward.

What brought to mind the importance of rugged individualists in the history of country was the flights of two billionaires, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, into space.  Branson make his fortune as the founder of the Virgin Group while Bezos made his as the founder of Amazon.  Their flights into space were but the latest expression of their rugged individualism.  In speaking of Branson and Bezos one also need to mention Elon Musk and his company Space X.

When I think of rugged individualists in the scriptures the first person that comes to mind is David.  This is especially from the time he was anointed as a young man by Samuel until he finally became of the United Kingdom.   David had to be resourceful to meet the many challenges to keep safe while at the same time show respect for the office of King.  For the most part he was on his own and had to fend for himself.  With the exception of Jonathan there were few on whom he could rely.   His belief that he had been called by God was the one thing that kept him going.

In the New Testament the obvious choice for a rugged individualist is Paul.  He was instrumental for the spreading of Christianity from a small Jewish sect to a world religion.  Several places in his writing he notes all of the hardships and difficulties he encountered.  More than once his fellowship Christians let him down and he found that he had to rely primarily on himself.  He had to find ways to relate the new religion to people who did not have a Jewish background.  Not many persons could have withstood all of the challenges that faced Paul.  It was his faith in Jesus that kept him going.

It is good to periodically pause and remember the rugged individuals who have created the world in which we live.  There are not a lot of them because what they do is hard and not for the faint of heart.  They help to push us forward into an unknown future which is brimming with possibilities.  Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk are but the latest in this long line.