This Easter was one to remember.
After finishing our debrief in Peru, my whole squad and I got the opportunity to go to Machu Picchu. If you’re not familiar with Machu Picchu, it is one of the most famous Incan archeologcial sites in the world.
We left Cusco and drove for 7 hours into the mountains. Then, we reached a little restaurant and got out to eat lunch.
After eating, we hiked 6 mile into Aguas Calientes, the town that is at the base of Machu Picchu. We slept in the hostel for the night. Our guides gave is the option of taking a bus to the top of the mountain to the Machu Picchu Site, or to get up at 3:45 am and hike 3 miles up stairs to get to it- taking the Camino de Peatonal to reach the top. I chose the hike.
Walking through Aguas Calintes in the rain, we checked in at the bridge then, began our ascent to Machu Picchu. Because of the elevation even people who are in pretty good shape can have trouble on this hike. I was huffing and puffing, waking up the steps in the rain and pitch black darkness.
I thought about Mary, as she walked up to the Garden Tomb. I though about Jesus, Carrying his own cross to pay for my sins. And, even as hard as this hike was for me, his path was much harder.
As the sun came up, I made it up to Machu Picchu. Clouds prevented us from seeing the classic view, so me and a few others decided to hike out to the Sun Gate, the final section of the Inca Trail. This gate is important for the summer solstice because the sun passes through it. It used to be the entrance to the city. I sat there, on an old farming slab, watching the sun rise over the mountains. I read through the Resurrection story in each of the gospels, then looke out over the mountains. One of my squad mates started playing worship from a Bluetooth speaker, and we sang the Lord’s Praises out over the mountain.
Then, I hiked down from the sun gate. Looking out over the ruins, I thought more about Easter.
We were like the ruins, without Christ. We were decaying, lifeless, and without hope. But, unlike the ruins, we are not abandon. We are not lost, forgotten, hoping someone will stumble upon us one day and give us life. Jesus died for us, and rose from the grave so that he could hand us our life, in exchange for his.
Luke 24:1-12
