Different Perspectives

“Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

I just returned from my annual spiritual retreat. Most of the weekend was foggy, misty, or rainy, the sort of conditions that encourage a lot of reading, writing, reflecting, and praying. But before hunkering down on Saturday morning, I spent all of Friday, a gorgeous, cool fall day, hiking in the high peaks.

I walked the entire length of the Lake Road in St. Huberts to Lower Ausable Lake and then trekked toward Gothics Peak by way of Pyramid Peak. This is a wickedly steep trail (as are most that branch off the Lake Road), but I’ve been itching to take it for some time.

Pyramid Peak stands at 4,550 feet of elevation. Were it listed among the 46 high peaks, it would rank 17^th. But, alas, it is not officially considered a separate peak because it stands so close to Gothics, which ranks 10^th , at 4,736 feet. And yet, Pyramid affords a view that is unmatched in the Adirondack wilderness. The top is bald, so hikers can see in all directions. To the north, you are looking directly into the impressive slides of the entire Great Range. Last year, I enjoyed a partial view of these slides from Sawteeth Mountain. But on Pyramid, the view of the full rise of those massive peaks is totally unobstructed. It’s a bonus that Marcy and Algonquin, the two tallest peaks, are also visible. And of course, the panorama to the south, stretching from the Green Mountains of Vermont to the lower peaks west, is also impressive.

After lingering on Pyramid, I hiked down into the col and up to the top of Gothics. The vista toward Marcy from this perspective was no different than in the summer, because all the trees are conifers. But to the Northwest, John Brooks Valley was carpeted in deep autumn red. Turning to face south, I saw splashes of yellow, orange and red spreading from Giant Mountain to Upper Ausable Lake. After a good rest, I hiked back down to the road on the trail that crosses the Great Range between Gothics and Armstrong Mountain, spending time at Beaver Meadows Falls just above the river.

The entire 12.5-mile hike was filled with splendor, but I spent the longest time on top of Pyramid, partly because getting there stretched my physical abilities (I’m not in the same shape I was in years ago when I climbed Gothics directly with my oldest son Aaron) and partly because I just couldn’t get enough of what I was seeing. The breadth of the view north was not one of distance toward the horizon, but from the bottom of the valley right below me to the tops of the mountains standing right in front of me, including the detail in a lot of sheer open rock.

Sometimes, the most breathtaking views are not created by great distance, but by close proximity. That observation of nature is a parable of human spirituality. We long to soar “with wings like eagles” into lofty habitations that we believe will put us closer to God. And yet, the most profound experiences of God’s presence are close up visions of divine majesty. It is the nearness of God that causes us both to tremble and to soar within. In fact, we see more of God’s glory from less celebrated or even hidden vantages than we do from the “high peaks” of our existence.

Yes, there are moments when I am allowed to scale the heights – get the big picture – and burst out in praise. I can’t count the number of times that has happened on a natural and spiritual level all at once during my mountain hiking. But there are plenty of breathtaking moments below those high peaks – looking across pristine lakes, standing in the spray of a swollen waterfall, or listening to a brook that is splashing off the mountain into the river below. And in every day life, as God gives me the strength to run without getting weary and walk without fainting, I recognize the presence and work of God in people and circumstances up close. God is in all of it – high and low, near and far.

©2018 by J. Mark Lawson