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| July 27 |
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He is probably the best known kid in all of America. His reputation for quick wit, bold courage and moral fortitude have earned him the respect of millions. His name is Huckleberry Finn and in the book of the same name exists one of the greatest episodes in all of American literature. Huck and the runaway slave, Jim, find themselves adrift, both literally and figuratively. They are floating down the great Mississippi River toward a strange and troubling land far from the safety of home. Huck knows that by consorting with a runaway slave he is breaking both the law of the land and, even more troubling, the law of the church. It is the thought of spending his eternity burning in the fires of hell that has Huck particularly upset. He understands the laws of church and state but he also hears the voice of his conscience telling him to do all he can to help another human being, another of God’s creatures. It is a difficult time with Huck pondering his dilemma, agonizing over his eternal fate. Finally after much equivocation and in a burst of moral splendor, his decision is reached. It is his conscience that must have final say... All right, then, I’ll go to hell. It was awful thoughts and awful words but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming. I shoved the whole thing out of my head and said I would take up wickedness again, which was in my line, being brung up to it and the other warn’t. And for a starter I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again; and if I could think up anything worse, I would do that too; because as long as I was in and in for good, I might as well go the whole hog. What a guy. I have had occasion to recall that episode. Each time my life reaches one of those forks in the road that call for a choice, I have reflected on Huck and his own soul-shaking dilemma. What should I do? Do I follow society’s conventions and rules or do I listen to that inner voice? Over the years and after countless forks in the road, I’ve come to trust that inner voice but always after asking it one simple question: Will my decision cause hurt to someone else? If the answer is yes then my path is made clear. No rule or law, no doctrine or dogma will force me down that road. Like my best friend, Huck, I say, "All right, then, I’ll go to hell!" In this modern world, our dilemmas are complex, our choices are many and yet I continue to find that focusing upon that raft floating down the river gives me the insight to make the right choice. Huckleberry Finn is, for me, the patron saint of decision-making. |
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