Columbus Day

As Christopher Columbus stood on the deck of the Santa Maria looking at the world of water that had been his same view for months, I have no doubt that he wondered if this quest was going to end in failure. I imagine that he considered his bed back home, a warm meal, and the feeling of being celebrated at court. Now the world was wet, cold, moldy, and filled with sailors on the brink of mutiny.

What had he gotten himself into?

The motivation for the ones who paid for this mission was clear. Money and power would go to the country or the company who discovered and controlled a short cut to the wealth of the indies. However, none of them ascended the gangplank of the small vessels that was taking a never-travelled western path across the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus stood to gain it’s sure, but something more than wealth or fame has to motivate a man to take on a quest for which there are no guarantees. 

There would have been a key point in the journey that the faith of this mission and the man who held the lives of the men who joined him was tested. That point was when the supplies were halfway gone. Move further west and there is no return. That is when the adventure becomes real. I imagine the quiet deck that day. Everyone knew that this was either a ship of heroes or dead men.

At 2am, after 5 weeks of sailing, a sailor on the Pinta sighted land; a small island in what is now The Bahamas. The quest proved itself out and Christopher Columbus became a legend.

Of course, now the historical debates can begin. Was the world really a better place now that there is a new world? It didn’t seem true for the native peoples who inhabited the invaded paradise. This was business for the ones who were to come after this October day in 1492. The discovery was not always honored and people lost their lives. Much suffering came to many as a result. Even Columbus himself proved to be a harsh ruler as the governor of Hispaniola. It’s true that sometimes we misuse the treasure we find even when it was the very thing that drove us to begin with. However, on this day we celebrate the faith that made a man cross the uncharted ocean.

I don’t know if quest or adventure lies in all of us. Many seem satisfied with a life that never progresses much past the place they were born. There is beauty in that kind of peace to be sure. However, there are those of us who look out over the ocean and believe. We believe that there is something that lives on the other side of the horizon and as the sun sets we want to hitch a ride just to see the truth. 

I know my quest. It’s driven by a stubbornly held belief that Eden exists and there is life and deep love in the world. I’m looking for truth that matches the thumbprint on my soul and a voice to tell my children about what I find. I’ve burned bridges and rations on my journey and have passed the point of no return. There are many who feel I’ve lost my mind or have become a disappointment on a fools errand. Sometimes, when the storm is raging, the rations low, or I can see nothing but water for weeks, I’m tempted to question. But, even with my knees starting to tremble, I hold fast the wheel and pray for wind and solid ground.

Then, when my toes sink into the sand, I pray I honor what I’ve found.

This journey is one of preparation. The miles make me stronger and the struggle makes me worthy. I could have gone back…but the call has always been forward. 

I’m hungry. 

I’m tired. 

But the winds are changing, the water getting warmer, my heart beating faster, and birds are traveling with us. These are the whispers from God that we aren’t far now.

We are almost home.