Jesus is Real.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

This lumberjack statue is 31 feet tall and weighs 3,700-pounds (not including the double-sided axe and his lumberjack’s peavey).

Know the lumberjack’s name? You probably had the name in mind before I even asked the question. Paul Bunyan.

Know the town in which the statue stands? The town name is not likely on the front of your mind. Bangor, Maine.

So, why is there a statue of Paul Bunyan standing in front of the Bangor Civic Center? The town claims to be the birthplace of Paul Bunyan and the logging business in general. Bangor’s City Clerk’s Office displays a copy of Bunyan’s birth certificate, showing him to be born on February 12, 1834.

The man is an American legend (though Canadians also claim him as their own). It is said that one drag of the mighty lumberjack’s massive ax created the Grand Canyon, while the giant footprints of his trusty companion, Babe the Blue Ox, filled with water and became Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes.

But was Paul Bunyan a real person?

I encourage you to research it on your own. When I googled the phrase, “Was Paul Bunyan a real person?”, I got over 1.4 million hits. If you’re not that interested in the research, I’ll cut to the chase and tell you most of what I read, which wasn’t a lot, agree the legendary lumberjack may have been based on one or more real lumberjacks. I’ll put the links to a few of my sources for information on Paul Bunyan at the end for you to peruse at your leisure.

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Here’s the point. Paul Bunyan, as we know him, was not a real person. Stories about him are fun and I’m sure claiming him as your own has made more than one jurisdiction a little money. One of the more fun reads came from the Packingtown Review. Here is an excerpt…

While Bunyan was born and raised near the shores of Lake Bemidji, he was also born and raised in Bangor, and Nova Scotia, and Prince Edwards Island, and Oregon, and Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Of the many states (and Canadian provinces) that claim him, historian Charles E. Brown prefers him in Wisconsin, arguing this state holds “the best right to claim the birthplace…”[1]

So, while fun and maybe profitable, that’s the extent of Paul Bunyan’s influence on any given person (my opinion). I don’t think there is a single person, who believes he was real. However, we can base our trust and hope in someone who is real and bigger than any imaginable Paul Bunyan.

That man is Jesus.

We can’t see Jesus. He lived as a man over 2,000 years ago. He has since died and resurrected to live at the right hand of the Father. The Bible professes Him to be the true, living, Son of God. The Bible records prophecies fulfilled, eye-witness testimonies, and historical recounting of what Jesus did and what He meant to those who lived during His time on earth.

I believe Him to be real because of what He has done in my life. He gives me peace when there is no reason for peace. I have faith that though I cannot see Him, He lives in me.

Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, who lived and studied under Him for three years, knew Jesus personally. But when Jesus died, Thomas wasn’t sure of the stories he’d heard about a resurrected Savior. He needed proof. Once Jesus actually showed Thomas proof, Thomas believed.

Many today, maybe you, also feel you need proof. Something to touch. A voice to hear. A sight to see. Jesus responded to Thomas after having him see and touch the very holes made in His body by the Roman soldiers.

“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” (John 20:29, NIV)[2]

While I’ve included five or six references for Paul Bunyan information, I’m only including one for Jesus. Believe me, it’s not because Jesus is less important. The Bible is the one written source for knowing Him.

Some choose to not believe, and Jesus remains Paul Bunyan-like for them. A story about a fictional character, maybe based on someone real. There’s no lasting impact for them.

But for those who believe, without even seeing, blessings through an eternal relationship with Jesus are guaranteed. We can count on it.

I used bits and pieces from several websites for general information and thoughts. You can find them here…

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10327

https://www.history.com/news/was-paul-bunyan-a-real-person

https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/real-paul-bunyan.htm

https://paulbunyanscenicbyway.org/explore/real-story-paul-bunyan

https://www.britannica.com/topic/logging-forestry

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[1] http://www.packingtownreview.com/issues/5/B-J-Hollars/Finding-Paul-Bunyan.html#.Y53aUezMJQI

[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2020&version=NIV