Many Paths up the Mountain

There are many paths up the same mountain. Some curve around the trees and rise softly to the top, while others cut through the underbrush and scale cliffs to make it to the top in the least amount of time. People hurry along the paths and each one claims his path is the only one.

“If you don’t travel on my path, you will never make it to the top!” one yells.

“No!” someone yells back, “My path is the Only One! You are going to die in this fight!”

“You are so stupid!” a third person yells, “Both of you are wrong. Why can’t you see THIS path is the only one to the top?”

 “We’re all going to the same place,” another says, “Why can’t we all get along?”

Every person climbs. Whether they know it or not, they ascend the mountain in one manner or another. Some take time to explore the woods as they go, some befriend the animals, but no one knows exactly what awaits them.

“They say we will sit on clouds and play harps all day long,” one says.

“That sounds terrible,” says another, “I would rather not climb the mountain at all. Let me return to the foothills.”

But the foothills cannot be returned to. You can only move up the mountain, never down. So you make your way to the top.

“Choose any path you like,” says a voice in your head, “Only make sure you find yourself at the top of this mountain.”

What is up there anyway?

“They say at the top there is a hole,” a man tells you as you travel, “Everyone steps into it and falls through the earth until they arrive at the center. It’s the place no one wants to go, but the place they all end up.”

“Then how do we change our direction?” you ask, “Is there any other choice?”

The man leans close to you, “They say there is a valley filled with darkness,” he whispers, “Even the hardest trail up this mountain cannot be compared to the troubles found on that path.”

Darkness covers the sun as he talks. Voices in your head tell you to pay no heed. Surely this man is simply telling a scary story.

“They say that path is straight and narrow, and at the head of the path is a narrow gate. If you choose that path, you must leave everything at the gate before you step through. No one knows what happens after that, but they say there are dragons and monsters of the deep. They say darkness reigns and armies attack those who wander that road. They say if you once step in, you will never be heard  from again.”

“Then why would anyone choose that path?” 

“They say at the end there is a kingdom unlike any we have ever seen. They say there is no sickness or weeping, no war or dying. There is only Life. They say it is like a treasure hidden in a field. If one were to find it, he would give up everything and run down the path, pushing aside goblins and ghosts in order to gain the prize.” The man straightens up and looks ahead. “As for me, I count it all rubbish. It is only rumors. This path though, this is where I belong.”

The man continues on his way and you look around you. The path carries you up the mountain, but you wonder for the first time if there is indeed something more than this. Could there be more than this continual trudge up the mountain? Could there be another way?

Dreams come in the night. Someone, who appears to be a man, comes to you. He shines. His clothes shine and his face shines and when he holds out his hands to you, you see the scars—as if someone drove railroad ties through the wrists and left him there to die. You don’t know what it is, but something about him attracts you, and at the same time repels you. You feel as though you are completely in love with him, but at the same time, you want to run away.

The next day someone gives you a book. It talks about the man in the dream and about the straight and narrow path. You can’t get enough of it. Though the book is thousands of pages long, you read it in only a few days. And then you start it again.

The image of the kingdom draws you. It is the deepest desire of your heart, but you never knew you wanted it until now. So, you give up the mountain paths. You leave everything behind you and walk through the narrow gate. You walk along the straight and narrow path.

The path is as hard as the rumors said, but there are other things you never heard of. Fellow travelers come alongside you and lift you up when you fall down.

“You desire to see the King too?” she asks as she kneels down, “We can travel together and help each other along the way.”

There are many things that would draw you off the path. Roadside taverns and diners call out to your heart and remind you of the easy mountain you left. Wild beasts jump from the underbrush and try to knock you down, but your heart is no longer flesh, it is lead. And the lead keeps you centered along the path and carries you to the king.