Flying with the ark

I don't know about you, but I really did not think too hard about Noah and the ark. I mean, I have heard the story a million times. I may not get all of the details right, but get the gist. I am not sure I ever considered it to be an actual story or just a fable to prove a point. I really did not think about it much.

Until my mother decided that she wanted to go see the Ark Encounter. I had no idea what that was and I was calling it the Ark Explosion because I, well I just could not remember the actual name. So one Friday my sister, my mom, and I trekked to a tiny town in Kentucky to see the ark.

I had no idea what was in store for us even though almost everyone we spoke to said it was an awesome experience. We were told that we could spend the entire day there. And I just could not wrap my mind around that. I mean the ark was just a boat load of animals, right?

That thing is huge. The measurements were taken directly out of the bible (something that I missed in my years of Sunday school). And Noah and his family lived on it for about a year. Yes, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights but they had to wait for the water to subside before that could actually live on the land.

Inside the ark there are detailed explanations about how the animals were fed, how waste was removed, how fresh water was obtained, and how the food was grown. It was a complete bio-system (or whatever it is called, self contained ecosystem).

One of the best parts for me was that there are scientific explanations on how things may have happened and not the because God said so defense. The creationist view was placed beside the evolutionist view which invited the reader to draw independent conclusions.

There were many different religious sects there. I am no authority , but I saw people who could be Mormon, Amish, Mennonite, Pennsylvania Dutch, and whatever other brand there is. (I say that because of their appearance-bonnets, long dresses with aprons, suspenders, hats, and other traditional type clothing). I am sure there were many others that do not differentiate themselves by clothing.

It was an experience worth having. Just the magnificence of the ark and all of the people who flocked to see it.