It’s another cold day. I zip my coat up as far as it will go, and start walking towards the Shoshone Falls overlook. Usually when I come here I am fishing or rock climbing, but today I just want to relax, clear my head and take in the beauty of Gods creation. I make my way to an old wooden bench just overlooking the falls. Sitting down I am reminded of Max, a bum I met here, at this very bench, a few years back…
I had been running the canyon rim, and too tired and lazy to run back up to the top, I stopped at the overlook to relax and catch my breath. I lay across the bench, and folding my arms behind my head I closed my eyes. I loved the sound of the falls, each drop of water cascading down the rocks, creating a symphony. I could have laid there forever, filling my head full of the peaceful daydreams we so often forget in our busy lives. I could have laid there forever, but on that day, my daydreams once again fell short and were immediately cut off by a loud voice. “Get out of there! Can’t you see Spartacus is sleeping in the guest bedroom? Nope, nope, there is not room for two, one must go, and that is you!”
Startled, I quickly jumped to my feet and turned to face my challenger. To my surprise it was a bum, a man, though beneath the rags and dirt, I couldn’t even begin to guess his age. I quickly apologized and began to leave, it was obvious that I had invaded his turf, and I wasn’t about to be body bagged and thrown over the falls.
“Wait!,” the man called out. A chill ran down my spine, and I hesitantly stopped, turned around, and walked back to the bench. “Spartacus didn’t get to introduce himself, when one is sat on and wakened, one must be introduced”, he said. “This is Spartacus.”
I didn’t know what to say. He was introducing me to an invisible person. Spartacus obviously was imaginary, and this man must have a mental disorder, something I don’t have very much experience with. I thought for a moment, and remembering my imaginary friend as a child, I decided the best thing to do was to play along. Hesitantly, looking in the direction I assumed Spartacus was sitting; I apologized and asked if he would forgive me for the rude awakening. Of course, I didn’t receive a reply, but the man smiled and nodded his head.
“I’m Max”, he said. I began to introduce myself, but was stopped short when suddenly, out of nowhere, he jumped at me, and before I even had a chance to flinch I was lying on the ground, with Max hovered over me frantically swinging his arms at the air. He was yelling at the top of his lungs, though I couldn’t make out a word he was saying. This went on for about a minute, and then he simply stopped, stood up, and offered me his hand. At this point I was honestly afraid, and the body bag became more of a reality than a thought, but taking my chances I gave him my hand and he pulled me to my feet.
“You have to be careful”, Max said in a whisper. “They’re always here, they’re watching you, and they can hear what you’re saying. That sure was a lucky one, me and Spartacus, we chased them off, but they’ll be back, yep, yep, sure will. If they see you with us, they’ll know, no, they can’t know, get out of here, go, get, go!”
He was obviously telling me to leave, and without the slightest hesitation I took off. In all honesty, this time, it was more of a dead run than a jog. Needless to say, I ran all the way to the top of the canyon that day. Come to think of it, I didn’t stop until I reached my truck and was locked safely inside…
The memory fades, and as I come back to reality, I smile and laugh at myself. Standing up, I am mesmerized at the beauty of the falls. I do believe that Max was schizophrenic, but at the same time, I sometimes think the world he lives in is more of a reality than that of many people today. Max was in touch with another realm. He knew there was more to this life than meets the eye. In Max’s world, there was a battle going on, and he and Spartacus were fighting against the enemy.
In a sense, my life is just like Max’s. The bible clearly states in Ephesians 6:12 that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
There is a battle waging, and although we cannot see it, it exists. As I prepare myself for The Race, I am preparing myself for battle. I will be a warrior in God’s army, sent out onto the front lines. I will be fighting to win souls for Christ.
If there is one thing I have learned from Max, it’s the simple fact that sometimes reality is the very things we were taught to be unreal.
