July 2009 Pastor's Ponderings

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I recently conducted a funeral for a young man whose body was found high in the mountains after a winter storm. His name was David, and he was very much in love with the wonder of nature and life. He had a master’s degree in botany and had explored deep into the Florida swamps and wilderness. After leaving home ten years ago, he made his way westward and eventually to the mountains of Utah.

During this time David evidently traveled light. He was somewhat of a purposeful nomad who used his education and brilliant mind amid “civilization” to resupply for life in the wilderness he loved. Like many explorers of old, he was more at home alone in the wonders of God’s creation than in the crowded and stress-filled ruts of modern life.

In many ways, David sought the parts of life the rest of us have foolishly ignored. He was at home in the beauty and wonder of nature. He applied his gifted mind to seeking, understanding, and reveling in the miracle of life. He was not a slave to a job. Instead of investing his life in a job, he worked so that he could escape and live amid nature.

One of the unforgettable things that I remember from meeting with this young man’s father was the Bible that was found with his son. This was not a compact, lightweight, small, or New Testament and Psalms edition. This was the whole thing in all its leather-bound glory.

I personally have several Bibles – not only different translations but also different sizes. The Bible I primarily use for study and sermon preparation is bulky and heavy. The Bible I take when I visit hospitals and nursing homes fits in my back pocket. The Bible I take when I’m camping or backpacking fits in the palm of my hand.

Let me share with you what this says to a backpacker. Backpackers are mindful of everything they take with them. When you carry everything on your back, you don’t take anything you don’t need and only small and lightweight editions of what you do need. A couple ounces may not seem very important when walking into church from your car, but they take on a whole new meaning when hiking up 12,000 foot mountains. If a backpacker is carrying something, particularly a highly experienced hiker like David, it is important. His Bible was with David until the very end. Though he left so much of city life behind, he kept his Bible.

What do you carry with you through life? Not just possessions but also what values and goals do you carry on your back? Like a backpacker, what are the essentials whose weight you bear and whose purpose you require that you carry through life? What are you carrying that you should leave behind? When you breathe your last, what will be found with you and what would it say about your life and faith?

Your brother in Christ,
Paul