The Wilderness of Scripture
some thoughts on taking hikes in the Bible
Clarity, transformation, movement, helpful tension, work, sweat, respite. This is why I go to the woods.
Clarity: Being alone brings clarity to my thoughts and feelings. You can’t hide who you are when there is no device to distract you from yourself.
Transformation: As your steps leave their mark in the woods, the woods leaves her mark on you. You always leave the woods changed. Whether it’s just a few extra calories burned or a new idea taking root, the woods are a place of transformation.
Movement: Being in the woods requires that you move, but the physical action of movement encourages movement in your life—spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally.
Helpful Tension: The woods teaches us a helpful kind of tension—a tension that gives us good views but only after a challenging climb. It teaches us that in life progress requires friction, and that’s not a bad thing.
Work: Going on a hike takes effort, but so does anything worthwhile. Going on a hike can also be a break from work. We need to take time to replenish our social batteries. Going into the woods isn’t selfish; it’s necessary if we want to be selfless. This also teaches us that work isn’t below us. It’s part of the human experience.
Sweat: As we climb over rocks and duck under trees, our bodies begin to sweat. We may notice sensations, soreness, and smells we haven’t experienced since we were kids, but if we want to be like children, how can we expect to recapture that imagination, wonder, and curiosity without a little bit of sweat?
Respite: When I go into the woods, I try to leave behind my electronics or only use them for very specific reasons: hiking apps, emergency phone calls, or to take a video or picture. If I can, I leave my phone on airplane mode or at least turn on a focus mode where only an extremely limited number of people can contact me. This break from civilization keeps me sane.
One thing that has caught my attention over the years is the similarities between exploring woods and exploring Scripture.
When I sit down with my Bible, whether paper or electronic, it’s like I’ve stepped into an entire new world. The buzz of the outside world dies down and the pages before me come alive.
As I see new connections, explore new passages (or old ones anew), and wander onto those more challenging trails I may tend to avoid, I come alive.
These themes of clarity, transformation, movement, helpful tension, work, sweat, respite come to mind as I read these sacred texts. The hills, valleys, inclines, rocks, trees, streams, and wildlife of Scripture mirror those in the woods.
Clarity: clarity about a difficult text, clarity about something in my life, clarity about something in the life of the church I serve…
Transformation: As I wrestle with the text, I receive new perspectives on the world around me, and sometimes I walk away with a limp. During these times, I also began to see myself in new ways, and this can bring about transformation.
Movement: As I turn the pages in the Bible, I turn the pages in my life. New challenges arise. Movement is demanded of me by the characters, words, sermons, stories, poems, and prophecies. Reading Scripture doesn’t make you sit still; it makes you get going.
Helpful Tension: This one is a lot of fun. When I read a text that seems to challenge an idea presented in another, I start to get excited. Just as a steep incline suggests a rewarding view, tension between two passages suggests a new angle, a new insight, or a new revelation. Tension, tension, tension, then boom! A new wrinkle on the brain.
But sometimes…
Sometimes the tension doesn’t resolve for months or even years or maybe not at all. There are still texts I look at and say, “I’ll need to a be in a little better shape before I tackle that hill.
Work: Reading the Bible can be tough. Reading one translation provides a lifetime of study. Consulting two or more translations vastly complicates (and simplifies) things. Beginning to study the original languages is an immediate wake-up call to just how little one can possibly know. But this work is definitely worth it.
Sweat: On some days we may read on or two passages, or we might read an entire book. Depending on our stamina, we might not break a sweat in long readings, but even a short reading can be pretty sweaty. We dig in deep. We look at each word. We take a walk while mediating on the text, running over it in our minds again and again. These kinds of study sessions produce those feelings of creativity, imagination, and wonder we had as kids. I just love it.
Respite: And all of this, despite its level of intensity, makes me feel refreshed. It didn’t always used to be like this. There were spells over the last ten or so years when reading the Bible was an almost torturous experience. I never lost the love completely, and I never put it down. In fact, most of the time, I had a lot of fun. But there were days when I was wrestling with a particular topic that I didn’t see how I was garnering any benefit, like hiking on days of extreme hot or cold, but I kept going because I had hope resurrection would come three days later.
I still have the flu, but I had most of this written before I was sick, so I thought I’d go ahead and share it. Thanks for reading!
Thank you. Very instructive. Last Fall my family, 9 of us ranging from 18 mos to me, almost 70, climbed a small mountain together, fascinating experiences for all, and I know you had a specific focus here but it's all very important for growth and development for everyone involved, thanks.
This is a much-needed reminder that clarity can come when we sit in nature and stop all distractions. I'm inspired to take my hammock somewhere and read. I'm praying for a speedy flu recovery.