A couple weeks ago, Jimmy, our hilarious Galway contact from
Nashville, and Paul, the most humble, genuine pastor I have even met, took us
out for a fun day. Their idea of fun was to take us to Croagh (pronounced
‘crow’) Patrick, which is a 2,507 ft mountain that pilgrims climb for
penance. I’m being a little tongue and cheek, since I like to hike/climb, and
it really was fun. But it’s true that once a year, on ‘Reek Sunday’ thousands
of people make this climb, many of them barefoot. We didn’t climb it for
penance (as my standing with God lies solely and completely in the cross of
Christ and not on anything that I could add or take away). Instead,
we climbed it for fun. (And we wore shoes.)
By ‘we’ climbed it for fun, I mean my team climbed it. Jimmy
and Paul got us as far as the statue of St. Patrick at the bottom of the mount when they announced that they would be staying behind and would meet us at the
coffee shop when we were done.
So, we faced the climb. About when we thought we must be
getting close we realized we were at the halfway point. The scenery kept
reminding us of Lord of the Rings; Alex, Kirsten, and I kept humming the music
from it periodically. We got to a ridge where people had written messages in
the valley below in huge white rocks. We thought about writing a message
ourselves like ‘Koinonia June 2010 World Race’ but realized it would take the
remaining 9 months of the trip to create such a long message.
Then we passed through a level area where gnats came out of
nowhere and started swarming around us and biting us. After that we went
through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops (‘Elf’ reference) and looked up to
see the where we were going. Instead, this is what we saw.
We started wondering if we would ever see Paul and Jimmy
again. The whole second half of the climb gets narrower and narrower and is
made up completely of loose rocks. After every turn when we expected to see the
top, all we would see was another turn and more fog above us instead of an end
goal. Thankfully people coming down from the top started saying things like
‘only half an hour now’ or ‘you really are almost there.’ Seeing as how any
good physical feat like this usually takes some mental stamina, I set my
teeth and put in my ipod and listened to some epic soundtrack songs and made it
to the top.
This is Kirsten, Michele, and I at the summit. Sadly it was
misty, wet, and windy- so we look the same and did not get to experience the
view. But that’s okay- cause we conquered it.
This summit is said to be where St. Patrick prayed and
fasted for 40 days and nights and interceded for Ireland. So, fitting with the
mood I wanted to quote a few verses from one of my favorite of his prayers.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation
of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s host to save me
from snares of devils,
from temptations of
vices,
from everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear,
alone and in a multitude.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie,
Christ where I sit,
Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who
thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who
speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
‘He must increase; I must decrease.’ John 3:30.
One last picture, this is a map/drawing of Croagh Patrick that makes me believe he and J.R.R. Tolkien were related.
