Yesterday at church I heard the most beautiful analogy/story and I can't help but to share it with you. Its one of those things that you hear and it touches you so much that you want everyone you know to feel that same way. As the pastor was sharing, I began to jot down some notes and so here is my version of his story with some embellishments and a few thoughts of my own added on.
Lets imagine that you moved to Washington state during the 'gray season' where its always overcast and the clouds constantly fill the sky. The locals tell you that there is a beautiful mountain nearby. You look around in disbelief and up at the dense clouds and ask where is this mountain? They point towards one of the clouds and say 'Right over there'. You scoff at them, because as long as you have lived there you have never seen anything but clouds, clouds, and more clouds. As the days and weeks drag on, the more you hear about this mountain and how wonderful it is without ever actually seeing any definitive proof, the more you begin to think this whole notion of a mountain existing somewhere out in the cloud cover is a big hoax. Its not that you don't want to believe in the mountain, you want to, but it just seems impossible. You soon reach a point where you so doubt the claims of a mountain that you decide to rebel. You form a Mountain Deniers Club and hold meetings in a local coffee shop. Of course, at these meetings you often are interrupted by people who claim to have seen the mysterious mountain and you argue back and forth often about its existence. But these arguments get you no closer to discovering if there is actually anything behind the clouds.
You come to the realization the only real way to solve the mystery is to head out in the direction of the supposed mountain. So you set out on your journey but its hard to see where your feet are taking you because of the fog. Soon you notice that you are climbing and that the trail is switch-backing its way upwards. Your faith begins to grow a little stronger. As you climb higher, the clouds start to thin and you begin to see the outline of the mountain you are climbing. Its not completely clear to you, but you start to believe in it. Eventually, you reach the top and the mist clears and you can finally see it in all its glory, completely revealed, and all of its majesty is there for you to behold.
Lets imagine that you moved to Washington state during the 'gray season' where its always overcast and the clouds constantly fill the sky. The locals tell you that there is a beautiful mountain nearby. You look around in disbelief and up at the dense clouds and ask where is this mountain? They point towards one of the clouds and say 'Right over there'. You scoff at them, because as long as you have lived there you have never seen anything but clouds, clouds, and more clouds. As the days and weeks drag on, the more you hear about this mountain and how wonderful it is without ever actually seeing any definitive proof, the more you begin to think this whole notion of a mountain existing somewhere out in the cloud cover is a big hoax. Its not that you don't want to believe in the mountain, you want to, but it just seems impossible. You soon reach a point where you so doubt the claims of a mountain that you decide to rebel. You form a Mountain Deniers Club and hold meetings in a local coffee shop. Of course, at these meetings you often are interrupted by people who claim to have seen the mysterious mountain and you argue back and forth often about its existence. But these arguments get you no closer to discovering if there is actually anything behind the clouds.
You come to the realization the only real way to solve the mystery is to head out in the direction of the supposed mountain. So you set out on your journey but its hard to see where your feet are taking you because of the fog. Soon you notice that you are climbing and that the trail is switch-backing its way upwards. Your faith begins to grow a little stronger. As you climb higher, the clouds start to thin and you begin to see the outline of the mountain you are climbing. Its not completely clear to you, but you start to believe in it. Eventually, you reach the top and the mist clears and you can finally see it in all its glory, completely revealed, and all of its majesty is there for you to behold.
Isn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever heard? When the pastor told this story, I could picture the whole scene in my head - the beautiful mountains shrouded in fog, the winding trail, and the sun breaking through the mist revealing the beauty awaiting the traveler. I could see myself on the journey and feel the joy of finally seeing the thing I had heard so much about and wanted to know for myself.
And isn't this the only way to truly find and come to know God? You have to set out in His direction. You don't have to believe necessarily that what you're looking for is out there, but you just start to move towards it. And eventually you find yourself smack dab in the middle of His presence and your doubts fade. Rob Bell, an author I enjoy, described it in one of his books like jumping on a trampoline. He said that if the trampoline was a relationship with God then all the springs are the doctrines of the faith. You don't necessarily have to believe in all of those springs to start jumping. And Paul, another author who I admire, said this about the end result of taking a journey up a mountain we're not so sure exists "we find ourselves standing where we always hoped we
might stand – out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory".
Sometimes I sense that we think have to wait until we have all the answers before we can start a relationship with Christ, but from what I can tell that seems to be the furthest from the truth. You just have to start, whether you picture yourself jumping on a trampoline or you see yourself on the journey to an unknown place, once you do that, He'll take care of the rest. He's already done all the work, its up to us to make the move towards Him.
Sometimes I sense that we think have to wait until we have all the answers before we can start a relationship with Christ, but from what I can tell that seems to be the furthest from the truth. You just have to start, whether you picture yourself jumping on a trampoline or you see yourself on the journey to an unknown place, once you do that, He'll take care of the rest. He's already done all the work, its up to us to make the move towards Him.
