DEADLY
BEAUTY

Topics: Beauty; Character; Christian Life; Consequences; Death; Deception; Evil; Foolishness; Salvation; Satan; Sin; Temptation

References: Matthew 4:1–11; Romans 6:23; James 1:13–15; 1 John 2:15–17

The Huntington River Gorge, near Richmond, Vermont, is beautiful but deadly. In the last forty years, twenty persons (mostly young adults in their twenties and thirties) have lost their lives in the gorge. Hundreds of gorge swimmers have been injured.

On the surface the water of the gorge looks calm and placid, but beneath it are strong currents that run swiftly over treacherous waterfalls and whirlpools. Public safety officials have designated the gorge “the single most deadly place in the state.” Warning signs have been posted on a side of the gorge, reading, “When the water is high due to rain or snowmelt, especially powerful currents can easily sweep you over the falls and trap you underneath the water.”

People are debating about what to do about the gorge. Some argue for more public information about the gorge’s risks. Others want to ban anyone from visiting the place. Meanwhile, swimmers continue to be attracted to the scene. One college student attending the University of Vermont—just fourteen miles from the gorge—said she had heard about the beauty of Huntington River Gorge and wanted to see it. She said people already know about the dangers and try their best to be careful.

“You can’t change the water, and you can’t stop people from going in,” she said.

—Katie Zezima, “An Enticing Gorge Poses a Deadly Problem,” The New York Times (July 16, 2006)