Moving Mountains

And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:21-22

We lived for several years in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Boulder, Colorado in the early 1980's was full of exotic and creative people - folks living a variety of alternative life styles. The air was thin and people were healthy or struggling desperately to be so. Boulder was a hippie mecca and all sorts of people living off the land and looking very transient were part of life in that college town. The mountains provided some sort of cultural and spiritual setting for many. Many came to the mountains hoping to find themselves and change their lives. There was musicians and performers on the streets during the warm months. The stability and permanence of the mountains seemed to encourage pilgrimages and experimentation of all kinds. I was always amazed at how many incredibly sad and desperate people were there, having shrugged off lives in other places. They came to be moved by the mountains and some were constantly on the move with no solid ground.

I am reminded today that Jesus told his followers that if they had a little bit of faith they could move mountains. It is often hard for us who live in a very technical world to want to count on the power of prayer. We know how to measure all forms of power but prayer is not on the list of energy sources. And yet, lives are transformed, worlds have been changed and renewal is possible with a little bit of prayer and faith. Sometimes we run off to strong and solid places and throw ourselves at solid people who offer us relationships and insight. Often we neglect to remember that the author of all creation is completely and entirely accessible and listening.

Today, I want to challenge myself to problem solve through prayer. Too often, I find myself worrying about things I don't know how to do a thing about. And yet I trouble myself about them anyway. So today, I want to turn those troubles and challenges to God. I want to turn the mountains and the fruitless fig trees in my life over to God. May we all have the faith today to turn to God in prayer for every need. May we courageously ask for what we need from the one who created the mountains and have loved us from the beginning of creation.