July 4, 2011

  • Stawamus Chief
    -My beginning understanding of Hind's feet on high places

    Psalm 144: 1-3

     1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
       who trains my hands for war,
       my fingers for battle.
    2 He is my loving God and my fortress,
       my stronghold and my deliverer,
    my shield, in whom I take refuge,
       who subdues peoples under me.

     3 LORD, what are human beings that you care for them,
       mere mortals that you think of them?
    4 They are like a breath;
       their days are like a fleeting shadow.

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    Yesterday, me and eleven other companions set off to Stawamus Chief on a bright sunny morning (8am) to go for one of the most adventurous hikes I've ever been to (actually, it was my first ) and I was so amazed at how I actually reached the top!  And throughout the whole experience, I went from "I won't be able to make it to the top! How could I?  I don't even exercise!" to"Even if I fall and slide and get tired I will still be able to finish!" 

    A quick Wikipedia definition reveals that:

    The Stawamus Chief (often referred to as simply The Chief, or erroneously as the Squamish Chief) is a granite dome located adjacent to the town of Squamish, British Columbia. It towers over 700 m (2,297 ft) above the waters of nearby Howe Sound. It is often claimed to be the "second largest granite monolith in the world."[1] The Sḵwxwú7mesh, indigenous people from this area, consider the Chief to be a place of spiritual significance. The mountain gets its name from their village near its foot, St'a7mes (Stawamus).

                   

    On the way up, there was a part where there was this large granite rock and on the side of it was a long chain.  The objective was to use the long chain as a support to get to the top.  But once I started up, I realized I couldn't reach the other rock because my legs were too short and there was no way I could pull myself up because of my poor arm strength.  But then a man from behind (we were waiting in line with all other hikers), came forward to help me by putting his leg between a crack and asked me to step on his leg as a support to the other rock.  Although hesitant, I really did follow his suggestions and ended up safe and sound.  From that moment on, I started re-thinking the story of Much Afraid and how she needed the support of Sorrow and Suffering in order to enter the Kingdom of Love. 

    Its true, we all need encouragement, love, and support in order to reach our goals and fulfillment of what Jesus wants for every one of us. I think that's why we have fellowship.  We can't walk or hike up the mountain alone.  We need support from others. 

    When we reached Peak three and as I sat there singing 我要向高山舉目with Wai Ho and a few others, I thought I finally understood what Much Afraid must have experienced when she saw parts of the Kingdom of Love.  Although I could not climb to the top of other mountains I saw on either sides of me, I did finish Peak 3 of Stawamus, and that in itself offered me a great view of the valleys and cities underneath.  Looking down, I could see cars passing by and smoke coming up the chimneys of houses...and that made me think: "How many of them have climbed up this mountain?  And saw the wonderful view that I did? They are so close, yet so far because they are beneath, and we are above...I wish everyone could see what I see here."  That must've been the perception of Much Afraid when she looked down at the Valley of Humiliation and thought of all her friends and relatives who have not yet known about the Shepherd and who have not come up to the Kingdom of Love. She must've wanted them to share in the joy that she was experiencing with the Shepherd.  
     
     
     
     
     
                      
                      
     

    While we were heading down the mountain, I fell twice because of slippery grounds, and my legs became even more tired.  During that course of the trip, I think I felt most incompetent because passer bys (even an old man with a stick) was climbing faster than I was and out of the eleven companions, I was at the back of the line.  As I saw people jumping down the mountain like they were already familiar with the roads, I thought about Much Afraid again and how she once looked at a deer and hind leaping up and down the mountain with no difficulty at all.  I think I understand now how she must've felt incompetent herself with her limp legs, eager to be transformed into Hind's legs.

     
     
                       
     
     
    And the Shepherd did that for her.  So Jesus must do the same for me .  Just maybe in another form of Hind's leg.

    And at last, when we were almost to the bottom, we passed by Stawamus fall, and I thought I heard the rushing waters willing to fall down to the low places...full of joy

     

    Thank you Jesus for being with me throughout the trip! And my awesome companions.
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