Peace In The Mountains

 What is peace? The answer you get will depend on who you are or who you ask. According to Wikipedia “Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence.” And well that is definitely a form of peace, what I have in mind is something a little different.

 When I am in the mountains, particularly the Rockies, I’m overcome by a sense of calm and awe that I describe as peace. Not an absence of conflict. But a peace that I long for in the core of my being. A feeling of home, a call from the wild, realizing how incredibly small you are and also seeing that you’re capable of big things. A paradox. Why? What is this impression of being grounded, when all of life’s cares and worries disappear in the shadow of a majestic mountain peak. Where does it come from? Why do we seek it?

​ So many people spend their whole lives chasing after things that inevitably leave them empty and broken. Searching for something, anything, that will make them feel whole, but so much of it is a lie. Things that we are told to chase after because they’re supposed to make us feel good, make us happy. Why do we not rage against the trappings of these false idols? Do we not know better? We all know that one person who has that inexplicable peace about them. Where do they get it?

 Being in the mountains allows me to feel closer to God, I understand more of His nature and His love. The peace that I experience in the mountains is quite simply the peace of knowing I am loved by an amazing Father. He formed the mountains with His own hands, and He knew that one day He and I would enjoy them together. The beauty of the mountains is God pointing out at every turn and saying “Hey, do you see that? I made it just for you.” This is the thing that I seek, what I spend all my time and money on. I want to be in the mountains not just because they are beautiful and there are adventures to be had. That is only a small part of it.​

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. ... Worship is as pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God ... We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God” - A.W. Tozer