Friday, August 22, 2008

Keep the Change

"Change we can believe in." "Change the world." "Change your shorts."

Well, lately I've been thinking about this concept of change. It seems like change on a small level is so trendy nowadays (i.e. fashion and technology). I mean, who doesn't want the newest video game system, flat-screen TV and spiffy outfit? Why settle for plain old tennis shoes when you can have the pair that glow in the dark? Those old light-up soles are so mid-nineties anyway.

Change on a large scale can become a different thing altogether. Think of climate change. Now whether or not you believe it is human-caused or not, the objective fact is that the earth has been warming up ever so slightly. But the shocking thing for everybody seems to be the fact that we can't seem to control it (although many people seem to think we have caused it). This aggravates people; because what fun is change, after all, if you can't control it? We can control small changes like fashion, technology and the like, and make ourselves look good. But when it comes to climate change, or even change in the weather, our lack of control hurts our ego. Therefore, we look for ways to control it. Buy some carbon footprints. Drive a hybrid. Seed the clouds to coax some rain out.

The point is, we humans like to think that we're in ultimate control of our lives, but we keep running into the fact that we aren't. What then? If we accept this, the question becomes who, then, is in control? I believe that person to be God, who himself does not change (James 1:17). He is constant; everything he is, he is eternally. Nothing that happens; no change, big or small, takes him by surprise.

In this world of change, it's good to know that there is someone consistent who is really in control of things. That ought to make us thankful; it ought to make us humble.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:12)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The Crack

A user guide to navigating "The Crack." Rule #1: go after dark. Rule # 2: only one person gets a light, only to be used during emergencies. Rule #3: it's not for the faint of heart. Now, a set of approximate directions for navigating The Crack.

First, shimmy across a log to reach the main entrance. Climb straight up a narrow rock face about 10 feet, then reach up to the right and pull yourself up into a small crevice. Then reach up and across and find a tiny outcropping in a nearly vertical crack about 18 inches wide, running to the left of the first crack. Literally wedging yourself into the crack using your knees and shoulders, move 10 feet to the left. There you will find a small place to stand on while preparing to move through the next hole. Crouch down to the left and squeeze through a tiny hole, while finding a ledge behind you to prop yourself up on. Sitting on that ledge, move to the left and down inside a vertical crack about 24 inches across. Once far enough down, you will find a tiny ledge on what feels like the opposite wall, which you must use to step across the gap into another crack that runs straight away from where you just were. There is a place to put your feet while you lean back and rest on the rock wall behind you. Now, move to the left about 15 feet until you find a hole going straight beneath your current position. There will be a little crack in the rock in front of you in which you wedge your left foot to control your descent. Lean forward and move down slowly, propping your shoulders against the back wall for more leverage. Continue downward for roughly 15 feet until you find some stones under your left foot to step down on; then stretch your right leg down until you find a solid gravel trail underneath you. Move about 10 feet to the right until you find another hole in the rock going straight down. This is called the "birth canal." Either slide straight down freely, or move down slowly, propping yourself with your arms and legs. Once to the bottom of this 6-foot tunnel, crouch down and move forward through a low tunnel until you find yourself back at the main entrance. Cross the fallen log again, and you've made it.

(inside view of The Crack)

Note: inside The Crack you must completely rely on those ahead of you to guide you; those behind you must do the same. Be safe and be steady, and have fun. Challenging. Captivating. Dark. The Crack.