Day 8: Out of the Eater

Hello everyone,

Imagine sitting in a dimly-lit bar in San Francisco in 1858 and overhearing two men whispering to each other. The only words you overhear are “gold rush.”

That was how the news of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush spread through the city and inspired some thirty thousand men to seek their fortunes in a wilderness region known as “British Columbia.” Wild, covetous, and hungry they poured into BC in the thousands. And as thousands arrived, thousands were unable to stake a claim or find gold. Disillusioned, many of them headed back home…but more thousands kept arriving to take their place.

All of this turnover upset the delicate political balance between the Hudson Bay Company’s fur traders and the local indigenous people. The miners spread diseases, ignored local rules, and even ended up in a war with the local Nlaka’pamux people called the Fraser Canyon War. For anyone who called the region home, the gold rush was a disaster.

But for the better or worse, it shaped the region in a big way. First, it served as the catalyst for the founding of the Colony of British Columbia. And second, some of those who came into the region searching for gold decided to stay for good and helped found the city of Vancouver, British Columbia.

One of the first places they settled was a broad peninsula at the mouth of Vancouver Harbor which today is Stanley Park. As the city grew through the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, one thousand acres were set aside to be used as a public green space. And slowly, organically, without the help of a landscape architect or anyone else, it grew into one of the most beautiful and well-beloved parks in the world (seriously: it was named “top park in the entire world” by TripAdvisor in 2014 based on peoples’ reviews).

Today my teammates and I had a day off and we used our free time to bike around the perimeter of this park. The weather was warm and the skies were clear. All the spring foliage was reaching maturity and giving off earthy garden odors. These garden odors mixed with the dank seaweed smell of the harbor to create a rich natural perfume.

Thinking back to the gold miners who unintentionally shaped this area, especially Stanley Park, I was reminded of the idea that “in all things God works for good” (Romans 8:28). I was also reminded of Samson’s Riddle from Judges 14:14 -

Out of the eater came something to eat,

And out of the strong came something sweet.

How surprising is it that a ravenous worldly hunger can lead to the creation of a place of spiritual nourishment? It’s a mystery.

In other news, if you read my day 6 update, you will remember Max. He was one of the most interesting students I spoke to on the UBC campus. I am happy to report that he responded to my email and we arranged to meet up for lunch tomorrow to talk more about faith and reason. If you are praying for me, pray that I will have good words for him.

Much love from Canada -

Sincerely,

Sam

PS - I’ve attached some photos. One is of me evangelizing on the UBC campus on Thursday, the other three are of Stanley Park.