Here’s
a short reflection on mountains. It was
written by William Loader.
Sacred Mountains
We
are surrounded by mountains, sacred mountains, which watch over us, beckon us,
call us to approach and begin the journey.
Mountaineering
is a risky venture and exhausting, but our mountains are accessible. Every day
we meet them and their magic tells us: just stop, just turn aside here for a
few moments, let me lift you to the sacred place.
There
are no gates or barriers. These mountains don’t close after sunset. They just
lie in wait, offering a quiet space, inviting us to a new view. Even with the
greatest disabilities, the frailest limbs, the faintest heart, there is a place
for us. No one is too big or small. No one is unworthy.
Touch
the mountain and we touch the earth, we touch the universe, we touch God. Just
to say we are coming is more than half the journey. It is to say we belong, to
enter the wide embrace of the mountainside, and to say, yes, to love.
There
is a mountain stream for the thirsty and its waters are there for cleansing.
There is peace and forgiveness and renewal. The wind of the Spirit sometimes
blows strongly, challenging us to stand firm, or gently touches us with
memories of God’s goodness.
Climb
the mountain and you see a long way. People you have not noticed. Distant needs
which want to say also: “I am here”. And in the silence of the sacred space are
voices of hope, of joy, of pain, of possibility. Climb the mountain and you
will see Jesus.
But
most roads run past the mountain and hurry away to noise and distraction.
Mountains become incidental scenery to be forgotten or photo-shots for two
dimensional living. The mountains come and go, hiding in the clouds, emerging
to ask again, always patient and knowing, always there for you and me.
~
written by William Loader. For more of
his excellent writing, see: http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/reflectiveindex.html
