麻豆约拍

From Reverend Sharon Grenham-Thompson, vicar in Milton Keynes:

I鈥檓 dusting off my walking boots because this weekend I鈥檓 off with the family to North Wales, for the kids to climb Mount Snowdon for the first time. It鈥檚 my son Leo鈥檚 12th birthday, so I鈥檒l be carrying cake in my backpack, ready for a party at 3500 feet.

Mountains have this mythical quality, don鈥檛 they, a mysterious presence which lends itself to stories and legends - and Snowdon鈥檚 no exception. One of the legends about Snowdon is that at the very top there鈥檚 a pile of stones marking the grave of a huge giant, who was killed by King Arthur. I wonder if any of the 500 words stories will feature mountains鈥�.

Mountains appear in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible too. Moses received the 10 Commandments from God atop Mount Sinai; Elijah had a spiritual showdown on Mount Carmel; and Jesus often went to pray in the mountains. It鈥檚 as if, on a mountain top, we really are closer to heaven. I can understand why people describe great moments of exhilaration or insight as 鈥榤ountain top experiences鈥�.

In contrast, when things get tough, we often use words and images of descent - 鈥業鈥檓 feeling down鈥�, we might say, or we鈥檝e come 鈥榖ack down to earth with a bump鈥�. There鈥檚 even 鈥榯he valley of the shadow of death鈥� from the 23rd psalm. It鈥檚 as if the lowlands, the valleys of life, are a bad place to be.

But a valley is often the place that鈥檚 most fertile - there might be a river, the soil is deep, it鈥檚 where crops grow, it鈥檚 where communities are built.聽 滨鈥檝别 found in my own life that while the mountain top experiences are wonderful, it鈥檚 when times are challenging that 滨鈥檝别 grown most as a person. In the shadows of our private valleys we have to look for the things that sustain us, 鈥榙igging deep鈥� to discover our strength.

So our family ascent at the weekend will be a fun and fabulous chapter in our family story, but I won鈥檛 be afraid to come back down. The mountains may be magical - but when it comes to progress in life, I believe that it鈥檚 the valleys that are vital.