Dust to Dust

In the iconic movie, “Gone With The Wind” the theme of land ownership, and the rich loom we refer to as earth, or soil or dirt is emphasized. So much so that Scarlett O’Hara’s plantation is known as “Tara;” (an alternate rendering of the word for earth, “Terra.”)

I was watching one of my favorite programs this morning, the television series, “Sunday Morning” and a segment aired relating to a remote part of Australia; where 80 percent of all the opals in the world are mined. From the air the place seems as chuck full of holes as Swiss cheese. For you see, the local populace, and treasure hunters, alike, have irrevocably renovated what was once a desert plain, and low-lying plateaus. 

It would be an understatement to say the residents of this place value the land as much as Scarlett O. ever did. For you see, their love for the soil stretches far beyond their preoccupation with filling it full of craters; in a quest for blue stones.

The earth has become their sanctuary. Their very life. For you see, the vast majority of the people here live not on the land, but in the land. During the summer the temperature in this “God-forsaken” place reaches 120 degrees F. In pursuit of gemstones, early miners discovered that the excavation of their little portion of the planet might benefit them not only economically, but environmentally, as well. It took these pioneers little time to realize that the mines offered not only riches, but a respite from the heat of the day. Miners began working and living in the same cavernous expanses they seemed to expand exponentially on a daily basis.

You need a spare bedroom for when grandma from Sidney comes to visit? Grab the jackhammer and shovel and get to work. In the meantime, you may “kill two birds with one stone,” (play on words) and unearth a couple of opals.

Amazingly, folks in this part of the world have established not only domiciles, but businesses, as much as 20 meters below ground level; enterprises, such as grocery stores, and hair salons, which cater to both the permanent populace, as well as tourists to this remote part of the world.

At least for these far-flung folks, it seems somehow fitting that they should not only toil on the land, but establish their residence in the land. For after all, all creatures, man and beast, were taken from the earth and will return to the earth.

“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

 By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from (Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Vol. 34. Copyright pending

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