Date: 2016-07-15
From: Whiskey Spring Road, Pa - 1115.0

To: PA850 Valley Road- 1137.6
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: light rain

Today's section continued through Flatsylvania, passing through numerous corn and soybean farms. Temperatures soared into the mid 90s, so it was only appropriate that we passed through a city called Boiling Springs. Actually, it is a charming Appalatian Trail community known for their springs of cold bubbling water which fills a shallow, crystal clear lake inhabited by ducks, geese, and swans. We passed "little jo", whom we hadn't seen since Shenandoah! While catching up, he told us that he knew he was in the North when people started having snowblowers in their garages. Reflecting on his experience in the South, he shared a story that we somehow missed but now feel obligated to share. Near the city of Erwin, TN, where Porter twisted her ankle, a circus visited in the 1916. An elephant named Mary (or murderous Mary) trampled one of her trainers to death during a show. The animal, found guilty of murder, was then hung him with a crane in front of several thousand spectators! 100 years later, Ringling Brothers chose to do away with their elephants this year due to anti circus legislation that was popping up around the country, making it more difficult for them to schedule their shows. Also this year, many took to social media, bemoaning the death of a primate when a child visiting the zoo got into its cage. Some blamed the parents, others blamed the zoo. And again this year, a 2 year old boy was eaten alive by an alligator while visiting Disney World, evoking outrage and triggering an alligator hunt. The events of today and of a century ago raise fascinating questions. How should we value human life in relation to animals? What responsibility do animals have for their actions? Thankfully, as followers of Christ, we have a place to turn, the word of God. While the law of Moses was given to an agrarian, preindustialized society, the principals of jurisprudence contained in it are full of wisdom that is applicable today. Exodus 21:28-32 instructs us perfectly on what justice demands in those types of situations. Bloodshed of a human always requires blood to satisfy justice. In the example, if an oxen gores someone to death, it's life was then demanded (and not just as a dinner- eating it was forbidden). The passage then deals with cases of negligence by the owner of the animals involved. Owners are responsible for ensuring protection of human life from animals that have a history of agression towards people. Now if the owner of murderous Mary was hanging beside her from that crane, the Ringling brothers would have probably eliminated elephants from their shows long ago. And by the way, if Seaworld's CEO knew that he would be held responsible for Shamu's agression towards trainers, there would have been no need for a sequel to Free Willy. Ok maybe those are extreme examples, but the importance of protecting human life from agression animals, and holding those responsible who fail to protect humans should still instruct us today on how to respond when these incidents occur. And the question of how to value human lives against animals is ultimately settled by Jesus, when he asks us in Matthew 6 to consider the birds of the air and then reminds us that we are more valuable to our father in heaven then they are and if he takes care of them, he can be trusted to take care of us.Speaking of animal lives, we learned about a new type that lives along the trail. They are called Pokemon! The town where we saw little jo is home to an Appalachian trail conservancy building that serves as a focal point for hikers. Apparently, it also draws another unexpected crowd, school kids out for the summer.   Wondering what could possibly be interesting enough about hiking that the video game generation would leave their air conditioned couches for a stroll in the great outdoors, we flagged down a skateboarder playing on his phone while flying down the street. Without slowing down, he shouted over to us, "I need more Pokemon balls". After reaching the conservancy, he flipped around and went back to his friends. Pokemon? Apparently there is a new game that the kids have glommed on to that is played from the phone. Basically, you walk around in the real world and try to catch these little creatures called Pokemon that appear on your screen while you walk. You need a special ball to catch them, and if you run out of those balls, you can get more by walking near the Appalachian Trail Conservancy building. Sherpa quickly downloaded the game, curious if any of these creatures could be found along the trail. Stopping by the conservancy, he loaded up on balls and returned to his walk in the woods. Alarmed, Porter showed Sherpa an article about a man who crashed into a tree while playing Pokemon go. To make matters worse, this guy was driving a car, not walking. Apparently adults play the game too. Luckily, the only crash Sherpa experienced was his phone, which froze repeatedly due to glitches in the game. After bagging a few of these imaginary critters on the trail, he threw a Pokemon ball at Porter and bagged the rarest and most beautiful Pokemon in the world!