Conrad Anker, an American rock climber, mountaineer and author once remarked: “The summit is what drives us, but the climb itself is what matters.” Isaiah 40:4 reminds us: “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.”
“Climb every mountain, Search high and low, Follow every byway, Every path you know.
Climb every mountain, Ford every stream, Follow every rainbow,Till you find your dream.
A dream that will need all the love you can give, Every day of your life for as long as you live. Climb every mountain, Ford every stream, Follow every rainbow, Till you find your dream.”
These enchanting words were sung in the award-winning film: “The Sound Of Music.” Released in 1965, and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, the film was a tuneful, heart-warming story, based on the real-life account of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world's best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. Julie Andrews played the role of Maria, the tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey who becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Mountains, like music, are often said to inspire a deeper love for life. They relate to God as symbolic meeting places of heaven and earth, sites of divine revelation and power, and metaphors for spiritual ascent. They are seen as where God's presence is closest, and sacred events, like receiving the law on Mount Sinai or Jesus's teachings on a mountainside, occur there. In many cultures and faiths, mountains are viewed as sacred centers, the dwelling places of deities, or symbols of the ultimate spiritual quest. They can foster deep emotional connections, personal growth, and a powerful sense of awe, wonder, and purpose that can inspire love for nature, oneself, and even others.
Through challenges, beauty, and shared experiences, mountains provide a unique environment for forging strong relationships and a profound sense of connection. Seas and mountains have contrasting features, representing differences in elevation, landform, geological composition, and even the types of experiences and perceptions they evoke. Mountains are characterized by their height, rocky terrain, and vertical landscape, offering distinct challenges and views, while seas are vast, expansive, and fluid, providing horizontal vistas and the unique dynamics of water.
During periods of serenity, the vast seas of the world gently lap the coastal shoreline of every country or island. They unite the planet just as love does. God’s love not only unites, it achieves salvation and eternal life. Love may bring hope by promoting a sense of tranquility, reducing stress, and fostering feelings of gratitude and perspective, which are essential steps toward greater well-being and positivity. The ocean's vastness, the release of beneficial neurochemicals from natural exposure, and the therapeutic "white noise" of the waves all contribute to a peaceful and hopeful mental state. Similarly, climbing mountains is widely described as an exhilarating experience, offering a powerful combination of physical exertion, mental challenge, and emotional thrill. This exhilaration stems from a sense of accomplishment at the summit, the natural adrenaline rush of testing oneself against nature, the release of endorphins, and the profound connection with the outdoors. Seas and mountains are geologically linked by plate tectonics, with ocean basins forming mountains where plates collide and the seabed being uplifted and deformed. They also have a physical relationship, as rivers flowing from mountains erode them and carry sediment to the seas. Additionally, both landforms are deeply intertwined with Earth's ecosystems, providing habitats and influencing climate. Psalm 95:4-5 reminds us: “In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.”
It has been frequently suggested that one should never attempt to metaphorically climb every mountain, because it implies taking on every single challenge without discernment, which could be overwhelming and unproductive. Instead, it is recommended to selectively tackle significant metaphorical "mountains" - challenges related to personal, spiritual, or professional growth - as a way to discover an inner strength, gain perspective, and achieve one’s highest potential.
Mountains are depicted as places of divine revelation, major covenants, and significant spiritual events. Key biblical stories on mountains include God giving Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai after the Exodus, Abraham's test of faith on Mount Moriah, Noah's ark landing on Mount Ararat, and Jesus's Transfiguration with Moses and Elijah on a mountain. Mountains and seas help connect with God by serving as spiritual symbols and places for encountering the divine. Mountains symbolize a meeting point between heaven and earth, offering a place of divine presence, wisdom, and stability, as seen in biblical accounts where God appears on mountaintops. The sea, conversely, can symbolize chaos and danger, but also God's sovereignty and ability to bring peace through powerful acts of control and redemption, as demonstrated by Jesus calming the storm. Both landscapes are viewed as places to experience God's beauty, peace, and power, fostering trust and connection with the divine.
Intertwining with God can be beneficial. In some Christian traditions, developing a close, intimate relationship with God through practices like prayer and scripture is seen as a path to spiritual growth, peace, and a more purposeful life. The importance of intertwining lies in its ability to create richer, more complex, and resilient systems by uniting distinct elements. Intertwining is vital in fields ranging from literature to psychology and ecology because it facilitates deeper meaning, understanding, and strength that would not be possible if the components remained separate.
To the naked eye, mountains and seas are seen in distinct perspectives. However, mountains and seas are frequently and physically intertwined, with many coastlines featuring dramatic mountains that drop directly into the ocean, or mountains that are separated from the sea by narrow beaches and cliffs. This intertwining occurs through geological processes like continental plate subduction, which causes mountains to buckle near coastlines, as well as through erosion, which shapes the land over time. Examples can be seen in places like Acadia National Park in Maine and the coast of Wales. Both mountains and seas can represent birth and teaching. John Lubbock, an English banker and politician once remarked: "Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than what we could learn from books". Numbers 2:1-5 reminds us: “The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, his company as listed being 74,600. Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar.”
Isaiah 42:14-16 describes God's decisive action after a long period of apparent silence, comparing His imminent intervention to a woman in labor crying out in intense pain. He will reverse the spiritual blindness and hopelessness of His people, leading them from darkness to light through unknown paths, ultimately bringing them out of their suffering and shame, especially those who trust in idols. It reminds us: “For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant. I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.”
Amen.
