A young hiker set off from the valley floor to hike up this steep slope of a hill. It was just another day that the man had to himself to enjoy and set his worries aside. He set forth not knowing where he was going. Leaving his family at home he set out to begin the ascent up this hill. As he begun to climb, the hill became steeper and steeper. Putting his feet in front of the other, one by one, he paced up this hill. As he ascended he got higher and higher from the valley below. He would take an occasional gaze on the valley and see that a midst was settling in.
As he climbed higher and higher the midst became heavier and heavier below him. The sun shone through the clouds radiating a bright red with a tint of orange on the horizon. He begun to see as the midst settled things were not as they were when he started the journey. At first it was clear, blue sky, with no cares or worries. But now this midst had caught his attention.
He tread forward up this hill that seemed to become steeper and steeper. What looked like a small hill became a large bank. He wondered how he could so carelessly not realized this before he had started out on his journey. The day was still young and he was full of energy. The midst had reached a point where one could hardly see past it if they tried to gaze at the city below.
Needing some water he sat on a rock and looked about. He made an observation he had not noticed before. This midst was coming from the city. It could not be determined where exactly but it was certain, the people below had brought this midst upon themselves. It was only now that he had ascended this bank that he could notice it.
His journey was not complete, he wanted to get to the top. As he trudged forward, the stepper the bank got. He soon realized there were cliffs ahead. Fear took in if he wanted to finish this journey he would have to tread a dangerous course. A course with uncertainty. A course where no one would be there if he needed help. Yet he decided to move forward. As he begun to climb the cares of the world overtook him. Did he have the strength to climb these cliffs? Did he have the strength to go on? He knew he could go on despite the likelihood of falling. He had confidence and continued its course.
Suddenly a voice came unto him, you must leave the midst below. You must not go back but finish your climb before your return to your family. I wondered, why must I not go back? Why had I not seen that midst while I was below but now it is so clear?
I arrived at the top of the cliffs. I sat and gazed once again upon the Horizon. A voice returned,"that midst covers what was once mine". I thought, "How was this city below yours"? The voice returned, "I called them out of obscurity and darkness". I thought some more and asked this voice, "what had happened to this city below"? The voice spoke and said "climb higher and you shall see".
I thought of my dear family below. My friends and those whom I have grown to love. My body begun to ache, I had no food or water. I could hardly survive much longer if I continued my course. I worried, I feared, I let my flesh overcome me. I could not go on I thought, but my heart said, lets see what happens.
I climbed higher. I now realized what I was climbing was a mountain. How did I never realize this before? What I first thought was a hill all my life was no hill at all but a large mountain. I had not planned on this hike, I had only set out to take a rest on a hill.
I pushed forward and climbed this mountain and found a stream of running water to quench my thirst. I sat down once again and looked out. The midst was gone. I could see nothing below. I than asked "what
had happened to this city below"? I realized at that moment I could no longer see it so I asked "what
has happened to this city below"? The voice answered, descend below and see.
I climbed down the mountain and saw the midst was gone, I climbed down the bank and saw that there were no buildings below. I climbed down the hill and looked straight out and it was all gone, not a living soul. What had happened while I was away? The voice responded, "These were once mine, but they were blinded by the midst. They thought they could see but if they would only have set forth on that hill, they could have gazed upon further than they could have ever dreamed. Because you climbed that hill, climbed that bank, you begun to see though some was still hidden from your sight. Because you heeded my call to climb higher, all things could finally be seen".
"You could see the midst and ascended above it, so I could guide you to the top of the mountain. If you would have ignored that final warning you would have suffered a similar fate. The midst covers all, though some believe they removed it from their eyes. You tread this course alone, you would never had made it if you relied on another"
I bent over and put my head between my knees. I cried for all was lost. What was it that led me to ascend this hill? Why was I kept while those below are now gone? If only they would have heard that warning and would give heed to ascend that mountain they too could have removed that midst to hear and see. Perhaps than the warning voice would have been heeded.
With my watered and battered eyes soaking my clothes I continued to weep, the voice returned "Why do you weep?". "All is lost" I said. Suddenly I saw a hand that pointed ahead. There were others walking toward me. Some of my dear family though not all. I asked them how is this so? They told me, when I saw you were gone, we realized there was something there we had not seen before. We decided to try to climb a hill like you always have done in the past where we beheld a midst below.
Where once I thought all was lost, at least some few had climbed the same course alone. If only I could have done something more for those who were once here.