Trail
Journals and Commentary
Silverback’s 2014 Spiritual Reflections
Silverback is a Christian who wanted to go on the AT
for the purpose of being transformed and renewed. He gives a good amount of
scriptural support for this, referencing the Christian life as being called a
walk, race, journey, and way. He decided to take these things literally and put
them into action. He went to test himself and his own faith. Silverback
describes that a person must choose to be transformed by God on a journey, and
must go in with the right intention. His favorite part of the AT was the
spiritual community that he found himself in. There were many other believers
on the trail with the same sorts of ideas as him about a physical journey as
well as a spiritual journey.
Hoosier’s 2013 Appalachian Trail Journal
Hoosier is also a Christian who considered the
Christian “walk” described in Ephesians as being able to be applied physically
and spiritually. He and Silverback seem to have quite a bit in common. He
wanted to compare his life with a passage in Luke which states that Jesus “grew
in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and men”. Hoosier wanted to grow in
these four areas over the course of the trail. In wisdom, he learned as much as
he could about the trail physically and spiritually. In stature, he worked hard
to exercise and get in shape for the hardships of the trail. In favor with God,
Hoosier is reading scripture daily and focusing on his spiritual life which he
wants to display throughout the trail in a manner that Jesus would. In favor
with men, Hoosier wants to be a great help to those around him. He wants to
minister to them as best as he can.
Sir FoB W. PoT’s 2016 Appalachian Trail
Journal
Fob starts with a quote from Ecclesiastes about
fearing God and keeping his commandments. He details his trip to a specific
town which does not like to help Hikers very much. Fob detailed that no one
seemed interested in helping him, and only a laundromat business was interested
in anything to do with him and his hike. He discusses how people aren’t
interested in his religion anymore. The younger crowd especially usually tells
him that they left religion and see God more as an abstract idea and the
Scriptures as something which don’t need to be followed. This was discouraging
to him. Eventually he met up with his wife, who seems to be visiting the trail
at certain points in his journey. He considered this hike to be more about his
faith and his family than experiencing hiking.
Commentary
These three journals all have one thing in common:
God. They’re reasons and support all have to do with Jesus Christ. One was
there for renewal, another was there to renew others, and the last was there as
a witness. These three made me reflect on my spiritual journey on the AT this
summer and what it needs to be about. Hoosier made a good point with the Gospel
of Luke. Christ grew, and so should we. I would like to model my journey out of
Jesus’ 40 days in the desert. I will be eating food, but I hope to use that
time as a contemplative period of renewal and trust in God. My first step
towards doing this will be to seek advice from spiritual brothers who have made
a journey like this before.
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