Opinions
Panning for Gold
People go gaga over gold, and why not? It’s the world’s most precious metal.
Remember the California gold rush in 1848? Before then, the place was simply an agrarian state. But after gold was discovered there, California became a fast-growing and exciting part of the US.
Adrian’s class recently went on a field trip to the Kennedy Gold Mine in Jackson, California and we were happy kibitzers.
A bit of a background: The Kennedy Gold Mine (named for Irish immigrant Andrew Kennedy) was one of the deepest mines in the world at 5912 feet.
I write about it in the past tense because it was closed in 1942, but has been reopened as one of California’s historical landmarks.
Prospected in 1860, the Kennedy Gold Mine tested and purified gold by fire and produced approximately $34,280,000 worth of this treasure, according to the CA Dept. of Conservation.
Volunteers toured us around as they explained what was left of this heritage site. The kids were curious, asking all the right questions.
Then the coup de grace: pan for gold!
After listening to a few funny quips and clear instructions by an elderly volunteer, the kids set out to do it. Adrian didn’t need any help, but his doting grandpa thought he did.
They had gathered a vial of gold dust, over which Adrian complained, “It would have been more had I done it my way, not Angkong’s.” Haha!
It was a fun day visiting an era when people in California—many of whom died due to accidents and chemicals—had their fill of gold.
Which brings me to what Scripture says about something far greater than gold—faith:
“. . . troubles test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ appears again.” 1 Peter 1:7 (GWT)
