Emphasis Preaching Journal

On a trip to Alaska, Andrew Rogness says, "We talked with many people, especially one I'll never forget. He was travelling alone and also returning from Alaska. He had been to Denali National Forest. I asked him if he had seen Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. He had, and spent many days climbing on it. I ask him if he made it to the top. No, he hadn't. He often climbed mountains, he said, but never went to their summit. Mountain climbers always seem to use words like 'final assault,' 'conquest,' and 'victory.' In his mind, the whole purpose of climbing to the top is simply to do that -- stand on the top. One who goes to the top of a mountain thinks that he can make some claim of superiority. But to what end? he asked. Is it good for humans to be so conceited? What gain is there in such pride? Is it not better to explore a moun-tain's foothills, its cliffs, its high alpine valleys, its scenic vistas, and always look up to see it yet towering over you in awesome grandeur? Is not a person happier if the meaningless pride that comes with conquest can be yielded and the you that comes with living in harmony with creation takes its place?
"I had been given a new thought. It was so immediately true that I felt embarrassed for even having asked if he had climbed to McKinley's summit. Yet there was a bit of reserve, too, for my stubborn pride usually likes to have thought of something first and is slow to adopt the wisdom of another. The 'me-at-the-
center' had come face to face with someone who was clearly trying to find a way to live with the 'me' at some place other than the center."
Reprinted by permission from Crossing Boundary Waters by Andrew Rogness, copyright c 1994, Augsburg Fortress.
-- Mosley