LONESOME DOVE

The Brewer is a big fan of Lonesome dove. How could I not be? The book, something like a Texas version of Gone with the wind, is by all accounts an 843 page masterpiece. It seems to be loved by everybody, except for the guy who wrote it. More on that in a bit.

Well, believe it or not, it has been 25 years since the CBS mini series first hit the tube. This month, Texas Monthly is even doing a huge tribute to the show that made Texans proud to be Texan again. As if that was actually a problem.

I have read what the boys down in Austin had to say and I have a few thoughts of my own I would like to share.

“It aint dyin' I'm talking about, it's livin.”

About 15 years ago I was looking for a new hunting knife so I drove up to the house of Blades in Ft Worth. While wielding a scottish long sword, I looked up in time to see two guys going through expensive knives and several people clamoring to serve them. It was none other than Larry Mcmurty and his assistant. Larry, of course, is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Lonesome dove.

As the good Lord would have it, we had occasion to carry on a hospitable conversation and it really surprised me what he had to say about his book. Turns out, he is not that big of a fan of lonesome dove.

He thinks he has written much better works and didn't even show up to claim the Pulitzer when awarded to him. He said that he didn't know how so many people could get such joy out of a story so sad. I read in another place that he said something about writing the book as a criticism of the west and it's existence as a "terrible culture." Ironically, its the very culture people fell in love with.

“Heres to the sunny slopes of long ago.”

I think what people love about Lonesome Dove is much more than the memorable quotes and the outstanding characters. It’s that there is something within all of us that wants to be over comers and conquerers and dreamers. It’s not about a cattle drive, it is about people, who against all odds, shaped the world into what they wanted it to be. Its about people, who have suffered tremendously but still love life and love to accomplish vision. Fragile people who can’t be stopped. Thats what all of us want to be. Independent, free, capable and unafraid. Such is the the lore of frontier Texas.

I guess you've been settin’ up all night reading the good book.”

It thrills me to tell you, these are the kind of people God wants us to be. This is the great offer from the hand of God and the benefit of surrendering to the King who makes everything brand new. As I type this week’s sip from the Master’s cup, I think about those fictional characters and the reality of who we are through Christ.

By the grace of God we are River crossing dreamers who have a vision that can not be stopped. We confront our enemies, mourn our losses and celebrate our lives. We have a strong since of right and wrong and there are certain injustices we will not tolerate on the way to our promised land. are overcoming people of faith with a pioneer spirit ready to map out our victory for those behind us. Highly independent in a hostile environment, we go with confidence knowing God has made us to be more than conquerors. people are going to talk about for years to come because of the way we lived and things we accomplished. That’s the life Jesus handed me.

Lonesome Dove is a fictional work but the Bible is not.

What else can I say? There isn't enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Their faith helped them conquer kingdoms, and because they did right, God made promises to them. They closed the jaws of lions and put out raging fires and escaped from the swords of their enemies. Although they were weak, they were given the strength and power to chase foreign armies away. Hebrews 11

Troy Pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua. He can be reached at www.opendoorministries.org