The younger Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce earned a place as one of the most respected Indian leaders of America. Having been defeated in his war, and owing no apologies, he thought over his options and what was best for his people, and resolved he was through fighting.
The old Greek philosopher Heraclitus said you never step into the same river twice – things are always changing. And we might figure the sun stands in a certain place, at least under certain conditions, only once. It seems everything is changing. But I suppose our resolve can remain unchanged. I’ve known folks who resolved to take care of their kids – this world’s best folks. And I’ve known kids who resolved to be good to their folks – at some point parents need their kids more than kids need their parents. I’ve known some great kids.
I’ve wondered if the sun stood still when Chief Joseph stated his resolution: he was through fighting. I suppose it could have; it’s recorded as standing still for folks in the bible. But the sun has moved on since Joseph’s day, and Chief Joseph has gone on to his reward, a good reward, I trust.
The sun has moved on. We come to a river we crossed yesterday, and decide we can’t cross it now; it may be flooding. Or we may not want to cross it now; things are always changing.
But some things stay the same. I suspect that when we hear the story of Joseph and his tribe, with their heartbreak of losing land and life, and the disappointment of broken treaties, we all feel a similar regret, a similar pain as we realize man is not always good to his fellow-man. Sometimes we experience that similar regret because we know we can all violate eternal standards of decency and trust, and resolve – standards we know should never change.
A river is always changing, and I suppose the sun will never stand in exactly the same place more than once. But our resolve can be eternal. And the sun might uniquely record that resolve for us.