As I stood on the front porch of our cabin I could see the heavy fog sitting over the mountain tops. True to it’s name, the smoky mountains create a mysterious mist around the mountain peeks.This early morning I decided to go for a tranquil walk to listen, hear and meditate on God’s great creation. Walking down the trail I could hear the birds singing, the water falling From the trees and the creek below.
Every step I took produced a crunching sound of the rocks and pebbles under my feet. At one point I looked down and saw a brilliant, golden rock. It looked like gold. Then I remembered what the river rafting guide told us about fool’s gold. He said the area is filled with “fool’s gold”. Fool’s gold is a common nickname for pyrite. Pyrite is worth virtually nothing, but has an appearance that “fools” people into believing it’s gold.
The term has long been used by gold buyers and prospectors, who were amused by excited people who thought they had found gold. People didn’t know how to tell the difference between pyrite and gold. Their ignorance caused them to look foolish and chase after the worthless mineral.
Today we do the same. Many of us treasure things of no eternal value. Our jobs, cars, material possessions, etc.
