He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
(1Ki 19:11-12 NRS)
Unfortunately, too many good climbers are no longer around because of summit fever. Summit fever is typically defined as the dangerous state of mind in which a person fails to notice dangerous weather, route conditions, physical exertion or refuses to take them into consideration in a desperation to reach the top.
I further expand this definition to include the problem many extreme sports enthusiasts find themselves in. This problem is when ‘big’ is not longer ‘big enough’. Climbing a huge mountain is no longer a challenge so I will ski down the face of Everest. Normal ski runs are not doing it for me so I will take a run with a 255ft jump. This river in South America has never had a first descent I will drop in knowing there is no way out for the next few miles and if I make one mistake I will die. So summit fever is a danger to all extreme athletes. If you throw all of this in a pot and get it to a boil you will notice really we are dealing with contentment.
One spring day King David wakes up from a nap. His band of brothers is far off doing his bidding for some reason this year he was not interested in battle. This behavior was completely out of character for a warrior from boyhood, a national military hero in adolescence, an outlaw robin hood in young adulthood, now king of a nation. As this restless man looks out over his kingdom his eyes see a woman bathing on her rooftop. Summit fever strikes! David asks of her identity and can’t keep his mind off of her. Despite the fact that he has multiple wives and that this woman Bathsheeba had a husband he is blinded by a summit fever of sorts.
After a night of indiscretion David awakes. Whew, he thinks “I will skate by”. Then the ground shakes and above him on the slope is wall of snowing descending over 100mph. Pregnancy, a honorable husband, one of my best men he is pummeled. Clawing from the cold coffin he arises over the bank in the midst of white out. Murder, loss of a child, the incestuous rape of one of his daughters, fratricide, the rebellion of a son the cloud never seems to lift for King David. Finally, stumbling trying to make sense of which way is up he surveys his people to establish the might of his kingdom. The cold hard air closes in on his chest a night from which he will never arise.
It may sound like I coming down really hard on David and I am. The point I am trying to make is the that we all hear the siren’s call to summit fever. Contentment is the hardest thing in life. Materialism is ingrained in us as children. The TV declares that we need the latest dolls that pees everywhere or the remote control car that can climb straight up walls. Then as a teenager it is all about having the right label and portraying the right image. As adults guys can get a beer or body wash or both that will get all of the beautiful women you could shake as stick at. Women can get underwear that will instantly make them supermodels, even angels. If you just work harder you can get more vacation, more money, more happiness. You can take a pill that will make you skinny and you won’t have to do any of that exhausting exercise. Technology! Oh Technology! You can’t get anything that uses electricity that doesn’t go out of date before you leave the store. I am pretty sure that if you even bought a toaster it would be useless before you got home.
If you listen to what is swirling around you, you will hear “Your life is horrible!! There is something better for you. Your body is ugly. You have no value unless you have _____. This relationship is temporary there is someone better.” On and on the refrain goes. Take it from those who have gone before us summit fever bites! King David can attest to that. So how about you and me we sit down and figure out how to translate the climbing mantra “Climb to live another day!” We must declare that bigger is not better and enough is enough!
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24