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Mountain Top Experiences

             For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. (II Peter 1:16-18)

 

Mountaintop experiences. God caused His glory to pass by Moses on the mountain, and Moses got to see His “back.” Elijah ran to a mountain to get away from Jezebel, and God spoke to Him in a still small voice. Jesus took Peter, James, and John onto a mountain and was transfigured before them. Then there was Daniel in the lion’s den and his three friends in the fiery furnace with a fourth person. And let’s not forget the pillar of fire and pillar of cloud at the Red Sea or the time they spent at the holy mountain.

It’s easy to feel left out, short changed, cheated, or forgotten. Even atheists want mountain top experiences with God. I’ve heard several say they’d believe if God showed up - usually in a manner designed to be demeaning to God - like as a fifty-foot tall Charleton Heston wielding lightning bolts. This isn’t only true with regard to God. We want every relationship to be a mountain top relationship, or at least to have lots of time spent on the summits.

But we seem to forget about what led to the experiences. Moses had taken the tablets of stone down to a camp that was carousing around the golden calf. Elijah was running from Jezebel because she’d threatened his life. Peter had rebuked Jesus for talking about dying, and when the words Peter related were spoken, it was in response to his having made a stupid suggestion about building three shelters. People were trying to execute Daniel, his three friends, and the Israelites. None of these people were in what we might consider “proper condition” for a mountain top experience. And they didn’t stay on the mountain indefinitely. They went down the mountain and back to work.

I’ve pointed out this problem to the atheists I mentioned. Even while “Charleton Heston” is flinging those lightning bolts, they would start questioning the reality of the events and their sanity. When God no longer obliged them with “evidence,” they would dismiss the evidence as temporary madness. If the evidence continued, they would either dismiss it as madness or decide something else was actually going on, and they were being tricked.

Christians may not be any better about their mountain top experiences. Once they’re over, doubts creep in. The rest of life is compared and found wanting. The only hope is for another performance by God (or whoever.) Mountain top experiences are useful, but they are not a good indicator or our maturity. 

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