Mountaintop!

"This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. This is the law of the temple."

(Ezekiel 43:12)

I was a big John Denver fan growing up. "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," "Leaving on a Jet Plane," and "Annie's Song" were all staples of my elementary and intermediate school playlists. But more than any other, "Rocky Mountain High" was my all-time favorite of his! There was just something about the musicality of that song that hooked me right from the beginning.

Mountains have always been special to me. I really love them. Even though I grew up in Hawaii, I'm much more of a "mountain person" than a "beach person." I seriously connect to God more when I'm in the mountains than practically anywhere else. The trees, the altitude, the fast moving clouds, the mountains themselves... I'm not sure exactly what it is, but mountains just move me like none other.

There's a verse in Ezekiel 43 that mentions the mountains. It's in a chapter devoted to the Temple in Jerusalem, which was actually a city build on a mountaintop. The author tells us that the "law of the temple" is that the whole territory on the top fo the mountain shall be "most holy."

So true.

Maybe that's why camping is so powerful. I've had a few camps in my life that I frequented (including Tonto Rim American Baptist Camp in Arizona, Camp Mekokiko on the Big Island, & Camp Wrightwood, here in Southern California). All 3 of these are "on the mountain." There's something special (and HOLY) about being on the mountaintops.

My advice? Find your way up a mountain. Sooner rather than later. It's most holy. You'll be glad you did.