Following the Lewis and Clark Trail

As I journeyed home the latter half of my trip to Olympia, Washington involved traveling along the Columbia River Gorge, and in fact tracing the final steps of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804 through 1806. Knowing that the Eighth Grade will be studying this important event in the early history of the United States, I offer a few photos, links and reflections.

Growing up in Washington State means growing up with the Columbia River. The Columbia loomed large in our state history, with stories of salmon runs so large that you could walk across the huge river and massive shipwrecks because the mouth of the river where it pours into the Pacific Ocean was so treacherous.

The River Gorge is incredibly beautiful, and was the topic of many entries in the journals of Lewis and Clark. With the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 a whole new world was to open up for the young United States. The expedition was the beginning of the expansion west, an expansion that took place with no little difficulty and with many physical and moral dilemmas. As you get ready to study this in class, here find links to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the Lewis and Clark National Park

One can only marvel at the bravery and courage exhibited by these early pioneers venturing into the unknown of the West. You and I are the beneficiaries of this expansion, and the adventurous spirit of people like Lewis and Clark.

What are the great adventures of our generation that will demand courage? We do not seem to have much land on our planet that has not been explored. The Solar System and beyond lies before us, but may a different adventure needs to begin, a journey inward. We have often reflected on the amazing developments of the last centuries in science, technology and communications. While we as humans have rapidly developed our intellects, physical prowess and our understanding and control of the forces of nature, it seems we continue to rather childish and undeveloped in our spiritual lives. Sadly, we often find ourselves spiritual infants, even while surrounded with vast amounts of information, knowledge and other advances.

Pope Benedict XVI recently called us all to duc in altum or to go deeper. The arts, humanities and our faith are great resources for exploring the depths of the human spirit. Poetry, music, the visual arts, and much more set out before us many opportunities to go deeper. The great spiritual authors of the Catholic faith -- St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux and many others have written of their journeys on the trail of the spiritual life.

Maybe you are called to lead the first expedition to Mars, but most of us have a great adventure set before which is the life of the spirit - a life of friendship with Jesus Christ, who sets before what it means to be truly human, and leads us in the greatest adventure of all. How do you get started? Take one step - say your prayers tonight.