So Joel Malm is a guy in Texas that had a great idea and launched it into something that's still going strong. With Summit Leaders, he pairs leadership development with hiking. Pretty basic concept, but not something that everybody is doing out there. You should totally check it out if you're into hiking...or leadership I guess. For our trip, he enlisted Matt Chandler to lead devotions and struggle up (and down) the trail with us. The idea, of course, being that everyone taking part would grow in their faith, their leadership ability, and their relationships with God and each other.
At the end of the trip, we all hung out with a final cup of coca tea and talked about what we'd learned, or what our best memory was, or whatever awesomeness happened to jump out at us at the time. Pretty much everybody mentioned the night on the trail when it was so clear we could see the bands of the milky way...or the spectacular sunrise we woke up to after our final night on the trail...
Others talked about overcoming the climb up Dead Woman's Pass...in the snow...because it never even rains in June. They discussed the fact that God gives us the power to overcome so much and shared other personal revelations. Honestly though, I'm not entirely sure what I talked about when it was my turn to 'share'.
Looking back, it's odd to say that the people that taught me the greatest lesson were the people that were trying their hardest to be invisible. Our porters were tiny giants. These men all had to be under 5'6" and 150 lbs. But while hundreds of tourists struggle to the end of the trail with 10 pounds of random stuff in their backpack, these guys power through the trail carrying a ridiculous load of stuff tied to their back with a blanket around their neck...and they do it in FLIP-FLOPS!!! So yeah...they pretty much rock.
Of all of our porters, the one that has been on my mind the most is the man that everybody just called 'The Stinky Porter'. This guy carried our trash (or even worse) on his back for 4 days. He had the job that nobody else wanted. Makes me wonder how many of us would be willing to do the same to provide for our families...even if it was the only job available.
Back in October, Dick Foth (who was recently called 'the grandfather of National Community Church'), preached a great sermon about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples...and how we should be willing to serve each other in the same way. Here, right near the end of his time with his disciples, he knelt down and served them in a way reserved for servants. Dick said Jesus "blows up the idea that it is nobody's who wash feet. This is what the Creator of the universe does. This is what the Father of all creation does."
But that was just the start of it. Jesus then did the unbelievable. He became our Stinky Porter. He picked up our trash...he put our shit* on his back and carried it down the trail that we were supposed to walk. He took every bit of everything that separated us from innocence and said 'don't worry...I've got this.' He did what was necessary to give us the ability to make it to the end of the path.
And while I know he dreaded it, I'm pretty sure he powered through the trail.
*I don't normally throw obscenities around for no good reason...and yes, it's my intention here to make a point, even if it offends. If we truly believe that the SON OF GOD embraced everything that we are, our sensibilities should be overwhelmingly offended! Why are we more offended by a preacher's kid throwing out a 4-letter word than we are by the one who IS perfection being rolled around in our selfishness, bitterness, lies, adultery and pride? Seriously?!
Derek Webb - "The cross is both beautiful and offensive, and it must be both."
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