Caught in a Deadly Maze

On Monday June 18, 1990, Gary Lutes and his two sons Buddy (13) and Tim (9) drove their Ute off the main road looking for a trail. Gary was a 37-year-old land surveyor. His wife Linda had died four years earlier from cancer at the age of 32. She had shared Gary’s love of camping and spelunking (caving). They finally spotted the narrow trail up the mountain side. They unloaded their gear, signed the caver’s registration book at 9:30, Monday 18/6/90. They then disappeared into the twilight gloom of the caves entrance. As I first read this story in “Readers Digest,” I was reminded how this world first entered the twilight gloom of sin as Adam and Eve walked through the gates of Eden for the last time. The world at that time entered a dark tunnel that blotted eternity from view. We now live in a world of gloom, where light only stabs the darkness.

Buddy and Tim wore jeans, knee pads and long sleeve shirts. Gary wore overalls. Each of them had hard hats with lights attached. The inky blackness soon made even the dim carbide lamps seem bright, just as this world can seem bright amongst the curse of sin.

The cave was 12 degrees year-round, and their lanterns revealed the chill vapour of their breath. Gary had 20 years of experience caving. ½ a Km in they recharged their lamps before tackling the narrow twisting passage known as the maze. Unscrewing the bottom of Buddy’s lantern, Gary replaced the spent carbide granules. He opened the valve that let water drip onto the carbide producing acetylene gas. He flicked the flint wheel and a small flame sprung to life. He repeated the process for all lamps.

Down through history God has tended the flame of truth, keeping it burning in the darkness. Sometimes that light burned low and even at times, appeared to burn out, as for example in the days of Noah, Abraham, and Elijah, where only handfuls of people remained faithful.

When Gary and the boys stopped to enter the Maze, they did not notice a second log in book lying on a rock nearby. This was an added precaution for those entering the “Labyrinth.” They should have entered their time of entry and exit. The three walked and crawled through a narrow honeycomb of passages. 6o metres into the maze Gary called a temporary halt. To continue they had to go down a steep drop off, then squeeze into a small tunnel. Looking at the bulky nylon pack that contained food, fuel, candles and water, Gary made a quick decision to leave the supplies there while they scouted a few tunnels. Like the church as it entered the Middle Ages, as it discarded the sustenance of the word of God they headed further into the maze of darkness, unaware of their lost condition.

Gary set his stopwatch for 30 minutes which was a conservative estimate for the remaining burning time of the lamps. Ten minutes later and 60 metres into the Maze, Tim’s lamp flickered. This puzzled Gary. “Let’s turn back,” he said. If the lamps are malfunctioning, he was not going to take any chances. 12 metres later Tim’s lamp died. Progress was now slower. Then Buddy’s lamp began to flicker. Gary then felt the first cold pang of fear. When Buddy’s lamp went out Gary silently berated himself for leaving the pack behind. He began praying.

Suddenly, Gary’s light revealed a large stick propped against the cavern wall. It was a landmark they had not passed on the way in. Anxiety turned to dread as he acknowledged what that meant. They were lost. This world did not follow the landmarks left along the way, and now we find ourselves lost, trying to pull ourselves out of trouble. Those of us who are following the landmarks know the momentous times we are in. Can it be that we are the generation for which time has run out.

Trying to keep his voice calm, Gary said “Hey guys I think we need to backtrack a minute.” “Are we lost?” Buddy asked. (If only the world would ask that question.) Gary was fighting rising panic, like those in the world that see the rising tide of this world’s troubles. Without the knowledge that would save him Gary could not find a single familiar landmark. He followed a promising side tunnel, then stared in disbelief as it emerged near the same stick. Two other passages also led back to the same stick! This is so like the world today that is circling round and round, looking for a way of escape from our hopelessness.

Gary was about to head off again when his own lantern suddenly flickered. “Dad, I want to get out of here,” Buddy said. The words sent a wave of remorse through Gary. Despite the chill, his shirt was soaked with sweat. He forced his voice with a steady, “Let’s keep going.” Then Gary’s lamp sputtered and died a few minutes later. The three spelunkers froze in total darkness, stunned. Like our humanistic, political, and new age friends that now grope in darkness trying to save themselves from a hopeless situation.

The tunnel they had stopped in was only 120cms high and there was a steep drop nearby. “Don’t move,” Gary told the boys. He considered a crawl with his sons holding his legs, but if they could not find their way with light, what hope did they have without any. Then he had an idea! He sifted through the fuel trying to find some that had not been used. Maybe that would give them enough light to find a safer place. Felling through the sandy carbide granules he picked out a few unused pieces, put them in the lamp and put urine in the water reservoir. A moment later the lantern’s small flame ignited.

“Let’s go!” he shouted and hurried through several short tunnels into a large room. “We can sit there,” pointing to a large bolder. He climbed onto the rock with the boys on either side. Minutes later, when the lamp went out, he knew it was for good. TBC