The Internal Climb to Freedom
A friend of mine is teaching me a lot about climbing mountains. As a confirmed flatlander I have never understood why a person would climb anything that did not have clearly marked trails and manageable switchbacks, yet, as I hear him talk about the thrill of conquering a mountain I get a twinge that could almost (note the word, almost) motivate me to seek a summit.
I have actually been to the top of two peaks. However, I am a true amateur and my friend would not count either one of my adventures as having “been to the top”. One was about 2200 feet and the other was 7000 feet, but, the view, even there, was magnificent.
As he and I have talked about his adventures, I have also been able to make some connections with the spiritual journey. I am convinced that some of the largest mountains to be conquered are our internal mountains. It takes great courage to climb any mountain, but, I would submit that it takes the most courage to begin to conquer the internal mountains. These internal mountains take many forms: addictive behavior, deep fear, woundedness, father hunger, anxiety, and many others. Those who take the internal climb learn a lot about what it means to journey with God.
I sit with people in spiritual direction sessions and see a great deal of courage as, together we listen for that voice of God to give direction to the journey. I see the release as summits are conquered and wounds healed. God gives strength for each step of the journey and provides the courage to face the fear. What results is freedom.
God has set us free in Christ. No doubt! But most live as if the resurrection never happened. The internal climb helps us release those things that hold us back and keep us from seeing the freedom that is ours in Christ. The internal climb is a the daily conversion that comes in confession and absolution; as Luther calls it, “the daily dying and rising.” In our baptism we descended with Christ into His death and were resurrected with Him into new life.
The journey begins with the first step. An examination of life. A time of silence and prayer. The discernment of the Holy Spirit. The confession. The absolution. The freedom.
Amen! I see this dynamic from a different perspective. In pastoral caregiving with wounded people, the agony of ‘the climb’ can be intense. Such internal work almost always includes facing long denied truths concerning choices and resultant behavior. Yet as the Lord Jesus gently points to the truth — release and change occurs. I have no doubt of the freedom lavishly available in Christ as Jesus breaks bondage that often has been present for decades bringing His peace and joy in exchange for the fear and brokenness. The internal ‘climb’ is more of a submission to Christ’s love. Allowing Jesus to open up layers of ineffective coping over deep hurts. Trust that the pain will be released when exposed to Jesus’ light often has to be borrowed from the caregiver. Confession and absolution are often the final steps in the climb. It is marvelous to behold as a caregiver.
Sadly, most of us would rather muddle along in the dysfunction we know than walk with Jesus into those dark places so that He might free us to live the abundant resurrection life He so freely offers and delivers. Every time. Christ is Lord — even of the deep, dark places. It seems a risk to travel into the pain with Jesus. With Christ — there is no risk. He has been there ahead and has already redeemed His child. With Christ, healing. With Christ, freedom. With Christ, joy. With Christ, peace. The journey is worth it.
I have to agree that there is a daily dying and rising with Christ in the Christian faith. However, given the fact that one can’t always do a “litugical” confession and absolution with someone, what would you say are other ways of confession and absolution? Nothing beats a real sit down C ‘n’ A session - trust me I know, but frankly, it isn’t always available.
In my experience, I have found that prayer and reading through scripture and meditating or thinking about what I have read and how it applies to my life as a way of getting re-grounded in my faith. Would that be a form of C ‘n’ A?
Jim, Certainly one becomes strongly re-grounded in faith by spending time in prayer, Scripture and meditation. This practice is essential in the Christian’s journey. I agree also that one cannot always experience a “liturgical” confession and absolution (but I think you and I might have different definitions of what that means) but one can sit with a sister or brother in the faith to have confession and absolution. There is tremendous power in having a member of the Body of Christ assure me of the forgiveness of my sins. The touch of the shoulder and the words “You are forgiven through Jesus Christ” brings a concrete experience that I don’t think we can find alone. Many times I pray Compline by myself and I use the portion for confession….the words of forgiveness are still there but I must say I can sometimes hear the message much more forcefully from someone else. As Luther says, “In this Christian church day after day he [God] fully forgives my sins and the sins of all believers.”
Paul, I do agree with what you say. The climb is also that peeling back of layer after layer and presenting the wound and the pain at the foot of the cross for healing and restoration. I love the insight that you bring from the journeys you have travelled with God’s people.
Reading these responses has brought to mind a recent journey to the Grand Canyon. Myself and two other friends hiked to the bottom of the canyon and back out in three days. Spiritually, and actually, I was in the desert. I made the simple mistake of not making time for God in my daily life.
The physical demand of the trip challenged me from my sunburnt head to the blisters on my feet. However, the time spent removed from tasks, meetings, and feeling responsible for the spiritual care of parishioners brought me peace. In the times of peace I was confronted with my sin.
The second day of the trip we were camping and my two friends went out to the edge of the inner canyon to watch the sunset. Personally, I couldn’t make the two mile trek because I was tired. I sat and spent that time in prayer and confession to God for the sins I had committed against Him. That night it rained in the desert.
“In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a cicumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in you sins and in the uncircumcision of you sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,…”Col 2:12-
All of us stand in cofidence of what is written in scripture about the works of Christ for his people. Words in human hands have no power and authority. In Christ words have the power to create, forgive, and transform. In John 20:21-23 we are reminded that God gave us his Holy Spirit and the power in words to forgive the sins of our brother and sister. I am in awe of God’s grace and mercy in his action to refine this lump of clay.
Not only words, but the experince of God’s love reignited my soul and sets me back on the path He has called me to walk. Each of us can count these blessings as God being present in our every step. We are reaffirmed in the truth of God’s promise to be with the Isrealites is still true today in our daily lives.