A Mountaintop Experience

October 24nd, 2016

A Mountaintop Experience

By Jordan M. Gray

This past weekend I was privileged to have led a church trip to my hometown of Madison, VA and Shenandoah National Park. On the trip I was reminded of the many topics we have discussed thus far in this course. In particular, I was touched by the influence of the ideas of sacred place. 

On this trip, I was reminded of the sacred places that I have held personally in my life. One of our first stops was down by a little creek where a church, dated 1823, stands all by itself. Upon entering the grounds of this place, I immediately felt the connection that I had known so long before. Not only is this place sacred to me, it becomes sacred to so many others who enter therein. For me, this was the spot where I first learned to fish, and I hit my Pappie with a large log because I didn't get enough fish that day. Granted, in that experience, I was only five years old. Also, this is the spot where I go with my pastor to receive counsel on so many issues. Not only does this place provide a connection to nature, but it also provides a real up-close and personal connection to God. 

As we made our way to the top of the Skyline Drive, I remember felling more and more in a so-called sacred place. Although the drive was constructed, the place itself was not constructed by human hands. The natural beauty of the landscapes is nothing other than the clear and present work of God almighty. For a while in the trip, I was able to get away from my tour-guide personality, and spend some time alone. 

In this time, the place did begin to help me decenter myself. Perhaps the most impactful moment was while I was looking out across the Piedmont at all of the homes and roads covering the once barren land. God reminded me that I was living in a vast land with many other people. I could not escape the fact that this world was created in His beauty. 

Although the drive was packed with tourists, it was still possible to completely remove myself from the society around me. I was  able to take some time and throw off the world that surrounds me on each day. In this, I was able to see Him and hear Him more clearly than I would normally.