Discovery and Naming

Journal 2005 10 31
Discovery and Naming

“A Cloudy rainey disagreeable morning.” “Welcome to Washington!” would be our modern day response to Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery. Sounds like a day mirrored on October 31, 2005.

The Corps is carefully working its way downriver. Captain Clark describes the many large rocks that appear to have fallen into the river making travel dangerous. Several portages have been made over the past two days to circumvent some of the rapids. At one point Clark describes a section of the river as having the appearance of a half-drained pond with stumps exposed.

Today, Captain Clark takes Joseph Fields and Pierre Cruzatte downriver to investigate what the river holds for them. He sends Cruzatte back upriver to take a closer look at the river and determine where they can safely navigate the river and when they must make portages. Cruzatte is his best riverman. William Clark obviously has complete confidence in Cruzatte’s abilities as he is singly sent to observe the conditions of the river.

At their furthest point downriver today Clark and Fields see and name Beacon Rock. If you’ve ever stopped and climbed the iron walkway bolted into its sides you know the wonder surrounding this volcanic monolith. Geologists believe it to be the remnants of an ancient volcano. A plug of magma with the mountain eroded away. Could be. I’m an amateur geologist and generally subscribe to much more current views of natural occurrences put forth by creationists rather than timelines favored by secular scientists.

Somewhere in history Beacon Rock was called Castle Rock until 1916 when the name William Clark bestowed upon it was restored. I’ve said it before, but I am astounded that so many names Lewis and Clark assigned to geographic features are not in use today. It is seems somehow wrong that so many names they assigned have been relegated to historical obscurity noted only by those who examine their journals.

Although the Corps of Discovery was not a Christian mission like those of the great Spanish and Portuguese explorers who planted a “cross of discovery” upon arrival in the New World marking the expansion of their monarchies and the Kingdom of God represented by the Catholic Church there is a basic Biblical principle at work in assigning names. “And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every animal of the field and every fowl of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. And Adam gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field…”  (Genesis 2:19-20)

God called for man, beginning with Adam, to have dominion over creation. It started with observation and naming. That principle continues today. Most great discoveries are named after the scientist who made the observation. Even at the sub-microscopic level, all discoveries are still merely observations of creation. All creation is designed with a baseline purpose. “Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all!” (Romans 1:20)

So, whether Beacon Rock or some nano discovery invisible to the unaided human eye all things are designed with a revelation of God’s divine nature and eternal power. Both visible, like Beacon Rock, and invisible, like the most repugnant of human hearts, working in the spiritual realm that changes the vilest of sinners into saints. Eternal power, visible and invisible. Can you see it? I look back on my life and as a young boy spent many hours in silent wonder questioning the how and why of Mt. Rainier. I look back now and add to that how and why the awe and wonder of my changed heart that required more power than was ever needed to create Mt. Rainier. Can you see His work in the natural world? Have you found His eternal power in the depth of your heart?

“For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth. But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.” (Romans 8:22-23)