No going back...

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Much legend, and probably REALLY BAD HISTORY TEACHING has gone in to the idea that Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés burned all his boats up before he took over The New World (most especially the Aztecs), etc.


Truth is that he probably didn't really do that.  Some folks legened up on it about how he was tired of getting mutinied, and all.  And, some have speculated that it was so that he didn't want to tip his hand about being there.  And, some have speculated that it was kind of a "There ain't no going back here...we're gonna win, or die trying" deal.  And, some have speculated that it NEVER happened at all.  

Truthfully, it's kinda hard to know exactly whether he did, or didn't, or what happened, or didn't. There was no CNN back then, so we don't have The Real Story.  That was 500 or so years ago, and memories get fuzzy.

I mean, a controversy could start in the check-out line at The WalMart this afternoon, and two minutes later you'll get four different stories from three different people about what it was.

I tend to go with the third speculation.  If it DID happen, I'd like to think old  Hernán was telling his boys that "This is it!  Make no mistake about it!  There ain't no going back.  We're here, so deal with it, make the best of it, and let's go kill some injuns and get their gold and junk."


The phrase, "Burn The Ships" has come to mean a whole lot of things to a whole lot of people.


Anyway...


Some folks might call it "settling."  But, I'd like to think that Burning The Ships is not really "settling."  It's setting yourself up for a new, and fabulous adventure.  (Don't get me wrong...I don't believe in killing injuns, and stealing their gold or anything).


But, a "Ship" is kind of a bondage in a way.  You're so tied to it. It has your provisions on board.  It keeps you afloat. And without it you'd get eaten up by sharks, or just drown quickly if you're lucky.  Truthfully, it's just a vehicle to dry land, and everything on it is gonna run out one day.

Dry land, even if it's unfamiliar, and uncertain, is stable.  You can farm it.  You can build a house on it.  You can mine it. You can even kill injuns if need be. (Don't get me wrong...I don't believe in killing injuns, and stealing their gold or anything).

I think I'd rather view "Burning The Ships," as "Blooming Where You're Planted."  It's not "settling" for something less than you hoped for.  It's like allowing God to grow you in to something more beautiful, and strong, and productive than EVEN YOU EVER THOUGHT you could be.


No going back...



I think it was Steven Chapman that sang "Burn The Ships."  I remember a couple of lines, and I can't seem to get them out of my head.

Burn The Ships!
We're here to stay.
There's no way we could go back now that we've come this far by faith.

Burn the ships!
We've passed the point of no return.
 Our life is here, so let the ships burn.

Lookit...don't look back. You've got better ahead. That old ship may have got you to where you are, but it was pretty stinky, and full of rats anyway.

Just sayin'...