Curate’s Corner
The Rev Dr. Ashley M. Classen, Curate
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Irving, Texas
In May 1996, journalist Jon Krakauer was part of an expedition that made it to the top of Mount Everest. Twelve of his compatriots were killed in the highly publicized descent, a story that Krakauer records in his fascinating book, Into Thin Air. He begins his account by describing his feelings on May 10, 1996, as he reached 29,035 feet , the highest spot on earth:
“Straddling the top of the world, one foot in China and the other in Nepal, I cleared the ice from my oxygen mask, hunched a shoulder against the wind and stared absently down at the vastness of Tibet. I understood on some dim, detached level that the sweep of earth beneath my feet was a spectacular sight. I had been fantasizing about this moment, and the release of emotion that would accompany it, for years. But now that I was finally here, actually standing on the summit of Everest, I just couldn’t summon the energy to care…I snapped four quick photos…then turned and headed down. My watch read 1:17 p.m. All told, I’d spent less than five minutes on the roof of the world.”
Having spent time in Colorado where the 14,000 foot summits gained my greatest respect, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would want to spend $50,000 just for an initial permit and wait years for the opportunity to climb a mountain twice that high. I’ve been wondering, why do men take on insurmountable mountains often at the risk of being greatly disappointed? Could it be that Pascal was right when he wrote, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator; made known through Jesus Christ.”
Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you going to leave as well” Simon Peter replied, “Master where else would we go, to whom would we turn? You alone have the words that give eternal life.” John 6:68-69
Love and Peace to you all, St Markians, Deacon Ash