Mountains come in many disguises

When I was fourteen I spent two weeks in the backcountry of northern New Mexico hiking over rocky paths, carrying an overstuffed pack with my portion of the crew’s food and supplies. I had seen mountains before but I had never “lived” with mountains before. They quickly became our silent companions. In the evenings, we would seek the valleys between these sleeping giants to make our camp. Warmly bundled in our cocoons we would sleep the solid and refreshing sleep that is the reward for a day’s hard labor. In the morning, we would awake eager to experience what the day would bring. The pinnacle of that experience for me was always about spending time at the summit. The goal was clear—when we could go no higher, we could not only look back over the paths we had traversed but also look forward to the path ahead.

The mountain top is a unique experience. All of the worldly things we carry with us through life seem to loose their value in the upper elevations. Books, credit cards, cell phones, internet connections—these all seem utterly ridiculous at the zenith. I do recall, however, thinking seriously about how I had been behaving toward my crew, especially as I peered over a precipice. There is certainly a sense of vulnerability there on the mountain, an exposure no tent can dismiss. There in the open, we are vulnerable, but it is more to the things from above than from the things from below.

In Luke we read about the transfiguration of Jesus, taking place on a mountain top. Peter, John and James accompany Jesus in this journey intended to be a type of prayer retreat. There, next to the rocky brink, Moses and Elijah suddenly appear. They just kind of drop in to talk to Jesus! The official “Law” and “Prophet” figures meet with Jesus to discuss the way ahead. Peter offers to set up three shelters but doesn’t realize the hierarchical problems this may create. The clouds roll in. A voice booms “This is my Son, my chosen; listen to him.” God has made the way clear—Jesus is the only one left to follow off the mountain. He appears to have changed, but hopefully, so have we.

Lord, we pray for your guidance,

we pray for your presence,

and we pray for your peace. Amen.