Climbing the Devil

Sundays we go to church because that's the day everyone is there. People are baptized, communion is shared, the Word is preached. An infinite God loves you and loves me and gave us life while we lived in death. The One who paints the sky that gorgeous shade of orange and pink that fades into blue and green stirs inside my heart as words like, "Did you feel the mountains tremble? Did you hear the oceans roar?" pass through my lips and I answer, "Yes."

In September, I went to church with only two people. I woke up one Sunday morning in Spearfish, SD; I dressed, loaded the car with Ben and David, and watched the darkness lighten out the backseat windows. We looked for Devils Tower, not knowing it would seem so small from the road. And so high at its base. We hiked at 6:30 in time to see that morning's sunrise reveal rock and river and meadow. For 45 minutes, we were alone. For 10 hours, we climbed, and I knew the gift it is to be human - to know God with heart and mind and strength. To know Sundays in the pew and Sundays on the rock. There is more to thrill-seeking than adrenaline. It's seeking God in the cathedrals not built by our hands - His omnipresence. It's challenging every faculty, every muscle because it's what we were made to do.

We were impulsive. We settled on our climbing location only one week prior. Only one of us knows how to safely place protective equipment - we trusted Ben. We wanted the risk. We wanted the memories. We didn't take the time to plan it out because all the pieces were already there, and we simply wanted to go. We'd fit them together on the wall. We drove west. The climb was physical and long - full bodies jammed in cracks, breathless. We learned. We loved each of the eight pitches, especially when they scared us. The same philosophy we believe on Sundays at church holds here: This isn't a fluke. This isn't a once-in-a-lifetime (or even a once-in-awhile) thing. This isn't just for honeymoons or Sundays. This is who we are and who we are continuously becoming. We are creatures with heart and mind and strength, and we want to use it all. We want to reach the edge of our capabilities. And then we want to go farther.