Mountains to Climb: Which Art First?

Judges 9:36 - "... Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains ..."

Something I often say is that I feel closest to God when I am deep in nature. I usually follow up with the statement that I don't get out in nature as often as I should.

Yesterday, one of my friends contacted a group of us and demanded that we all go on a hike up to a nearby park. We readily agreed, and today, tackled the summit to the best of our abilities. It was an absolutely awesome and gorgeous experience.

The crew! If you look really closely, I might be in the shadows in the back.

The mountain we traversed.

The falls we ascended.

The view from above.

The view from across.

I was bothered by an apparent paradox as I viewed the grandeur around me. God is an excellent artist, I don't doubt that, but where did that thought come from? Do I call him an artist because I'm more acquainted with mountains as they appear in paintings? When I view paintings of similar landscapes, am I admiring the artist's work, or am I admiring the original work they are trying to imitate? Which, in my mind, was art first? The real deal, or the realistic imitation?

I can't say. What I can say is that I loved the experience. Not only did I grow closer to God, I also grew closer to a few of his children. My invitation to all of you is to try and take the opportunity to do the same this week. You may not be able to scale a mountain, but step back from the world of technology for a few hours and give Him some time.

I promise you won't regret it.