We were in Oregon when three of my friends came up with a wild idea: to hike three ten-thousand-foot mountains in a single day! Maybe it\u2019s not crazy, but it’s downright foolish. Pressured by the fear of missing out, I decided to join them on this journey. Joseph Campbell, in his book *The Hero with a Thousand Faces*, states, \u201cNot the animal world, not the plant world, not the miracle of the spheres, but man himself is now the crucial mystery.\u201d [1] We often do things we don\u2019t want to do just to impress others, or we see a challenge that looks daunting, so we pursue it just to prove we can.<\/p>\n
A day before our hike to the Three Sisters Mountains, our friend, who was leading the group (I\u2019ll keep his name secret to protect his identity), was quite rude to me. I wanted to bring extra water, but he scolded me, saying, \u201cIf you have more weight than you need, you\u2019d better keep up with me!\u201d I wanted to wear hiking boots, but he opted for ordinary tennis shoes. At that point, I wasn\u2019t having fun anymore because of my friend\u2019s ego. Campbell says, \u201cMan is that alien presence with whom the forces of egoism must come to terms, through whom the ego is to be crucified and resurrected, and in whose image society is to be reformed.\u201d This quote reminded me of my friend. He thought he knew everything, and his pride spoke louder than the leadership I was seeking.<\/p>\n
The biggest temptation one may face is to express my thoughts exactly as they are. I wanted to tell my friend that he was a terrible leader, yet something greater than myself stopped me. I knew it was the Holy Spirit! \u201cSo, as the Holy Spirit says: \u2018Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.\u201d [3] The Holy Spirit is the one who will guide us exactly where we need to go. I needed direction, and I received exactly what I needed.<\/p>\n
On the day of our hike, we reached the summit of the first ten-thousand-foot mountain. We were doing well until our leader ran out of water, but I had more than enough, so I shared. On the way down from the mountain, just before we were ready to start hiking the second one, my friend jumped onto the glacier, which swept him down a short distance, forcing him to lie down for a while. When he stood up, I noticed he could barely walk because he wasn\u2019t wearing the right shoes. Our plans changed completely. We had to descend from the first mountain all the way back to our cars, and the only way for my friend to return was for someone to carry him. Out of all three of my friends, I carried my rude leader friend back to the car for FIVE MILES! I could have told him he was a jerk and that I was right the entire time, yet the only words that came out of my mouth were, \u201cI got you! I will carry you all the way to our car, and we will be okay.\u201d If something could humble a man, that would be it.<\/p>\n
We all learned valuable lessons during that trip. By the time we reached our car, my friends approached me and said, \u201cWe have no idea how you managed to carry this guy for five miles on your back. You are a HERO!\u201d I replied, \u201cI have no idea either. I couldn\u2019t have done this on my own. Something much stronger was guiding all of us through this experience.\u201d Campbell introduces the hero\u2019s journey through departure, initiation, and return. In the departure phase, \u201cthe hero receives a \u2018call to adventure,\u2019 often refuses at first, then meets a mentor,\u201d which in this case was the Holy Spirit. In the initiation phase: \u201cThe hero undergoes trials, encounters allies and enemies.\u201d In this instance, it was my own self! Although my friend was challenging, taking control of myself and how I was going to respond was far more difficult. In the return phase: \u201cThe hero returns to their world with newfound wisdom,\u201d which I don\u2019t possess much of yet, but I definitely learned a lot!<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hero adventures out of the land we know into darkness; there he accomplishes his adventure, or again is simply lost to us, imprisoned, or in danger; and his return is described as a coming back out of that yonder zone.\u201d [4]<\/p>\n
It might seem like I am comparing myself to a hero, but I am not. We have all learned very important lessons and are grateful for our experiences. The Holy Spirito, and even though humans are complicate is the true herd, Jesus still died for us all.<\/p>\n
[1] Campbell, 391<\/p>\n
[2] Campbell, 391<\/p>\n
[3] Hebrews 3:7-8<\/p>\n
[4] Campbell, 217<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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