Oh, The Places You'll Go

During my 25 years of life, I have had several opportunities to travel to distant lands and experience what to me were exotic cultures. From London to Bolgatanga and from Nairobi to Chennai, I have flown many miles across oceans and continents. While on these journeys I have often been in situations that I did not expect and many times did not desire. I once sat on a crocodile in northern Ghana. I was within reaching distance of a fully-grown lion in western Kenya. I stood anxiously at Heathrow airport hoping not to be pulled out of line for screening with their “high tech” machine that sees through clothing. I ate small fish that had been baked on a roof for three days in the slums of Kenya’s capital city. Still, nothing I have done struck me as being as absurd as what I did on the senior high ski retreat at Snowshoe, WV.

As our bus made its way into West Virginia, it was obvious that old man winter had set in for a long stay. The trees and fields were covered with several inches of snow and the flakes continued to float down from the sky as we drove along the interstate highway. Obviously, temperatures were below freezing, however the coldest weather awaited us at the top of the mountain. During the two days of skiing, the thermometer never rose above the single digits and the wind chill factor was well below zero. Of course, at night the temperature dropped off even more and as a group we decided to shed our heavy ski jackets and pants for swim trunks.

Snowshoe has two hot tubs and an indoor/outdoor pool within walking distance of our lodge. After a long day of skiing, a nice sit in warm bubbling water seemed just the cure for sore muscles. As we made our way out the door of the pool house and onto the pool deck, we became painfully aware that this experience would not be like anything we had done before. The “lifeguard” (who was wearing a thick full-length jacket with a ski mask, scarf, and gloves) was busy sprinkling salt to dissolve ice on the walkways around the pool. Running, of course, was against the rules since even the handrails were coated with ice and moving too quickly could result in a very nasty fall. Following a brutal walk in nothing but swimwear with the wind blowing and snow falling, we all felt great relief upon reaching the edge of the hot tub and hopping in quickly. Still, Mother Nature was not finished. As the steam rose and our hair got damp, it began to freeze and then turn white. Some of the guys enjoyed styling their hair in various ways only to submerse their heads and do it again. When he finished spreading the salt, the shivering lifeguard darted inside. I could not help but wonder what he was thinking. Many people who go to Snowshoe do exactly what we did; otherwise the pool would have been closed. Nevertheless, had I been in his position I would have thought anybody swimming in such weather was crazy. For the first 10 minutes or so, I simply sat and laughed at the absurdity of the situation. It was almost surreal and definitely nonsensical.

As a Christian, though, I suppose I should be accustomed to doing what many would consider irrational. There are so many skeptics in the world who have discrediting religion as their sole purpose in life and some make incredibly persuasive arguments. At times, it can be difficult to stand up to these criticisms, much less live a life that shows others a strong and vibrant faith. Paul reminds the church in Rome that “since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). The world may think it absurd for a group of people to worship a God who supposedly came to earth and lived as a poor man. The world may dismiss stories of giant slayers and floods as fairy-tales. However, the Christian knows that God has revealed Himself in such a way that those who do not believe have no defense because the evidence is clear. As absurd as it may sound, the God who created the universe has communicated His divine plan to us, and therefore we have a responsibility to study and understand not only the plan but also the ways in which God communicates it.