“See yonder height! ‘Tis far away – unbidden comes the word, ‘Impossible!’ ‘Not so,’ says the mountaineer. ‘The way is long, I know; it’s difficult – it may be dangerous. It’s possible, I’m sure. I’ll seek the way, take counsel of my brother mountaineers, and find out how they have gained similar heights… we know that each height, each step, must be gained by patient, laborious toil, and that wishing cannot take the place of working… and we come back to our daily occupations better fitted to fight the battle of life and to overcome the impediments which obstruct our paths, strengthened and cheered by the recollection of past labors and by the memories of victories gained in other fields.’”
– Edward Whymper, Scrambles Amongst the Alps
The current Westside building campaign, Elevate Your Faith, has afforded me the opportunity not only to examine the faithfulness of my giving to God and towards this cause, but also to evaluate all areas of my life. Am I a faithful person? Am I a spiritual risk-taker? As far as the faith is concerned, am I a mountaineer?
As Jesus emphatically stated, "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” (Mark 11:23).
It is essential that each disciple have this same attitude of faithfulness, for it is God’s attitude.
If our building quest sheds any light on the faithfulness of our God, I believe we will find a generous God, a bold and unpredictable God, and a God that is taking risks! As we look out on our city, the mountain of work that remains undone (for wishful thinking cannot take the place of hard work), what will we see in God? Certainly a God that is prepared to get us up the mountain… But more so, A God that has given us the whole thing!
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