Montana is nicknamed the treasure state for all of its mining resources. The discovery of gold in the early 1860's spurred a rush of people westward, clamoring to make it rich. Great disregard for law and order prevailed. Greed seems to have the ability to drive people to amazingly depraved behavior. I learned of mining camps given names like Cheat Em, Hog Em, Steal Em. Sound like a place you'd like to live??
A story of lawlessness: Henry Plummer got himself elected as sherrif. Only trouble was, he did not value law and order. He had bribed his way out of jail in California and fled to Montana. He formed his own group of bandits who repeatedly robbed and killed people on a 70 mile rugged and isolated road between two mining towns, Bannack and Virginia City. In his book Vigilantes Days and Ways, N P Langford said "No poor county was ever cursed with a more bloodthirsty or meaner pack of villains than this." Citizens took the law into their own hands when they realized that the villains were the very folks who were supposed to keep law and order! A group of settlers formed a Vigilante Committee (the treasurer was the founder of the town of Twin Bridges). The committee found and hanged Plummer and some other men who had worked with him, and continued to enforce the law however they saw fit. Several of the Vigilantes went on to become government officials.
As I've pedaled through these counties, asking God to forgive such lawless behavior and bring forgiveness and restoration to this beautiful land, I've marveled at the incredible love and patience of a God who would provide the sacrifice needed for justice and reconciliation: his own son. His name is Jesus. Do you know the one who laid down his life for his friends?
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