Monday, April 5, 2010

The Voice of Truth?

The last 2 days have been filled with some of the most breathtaking (no pun intended) scenery on the planet. i am now sitting in the tiny, dusty, windswept village of Dingboche - elevation 14,465' - and I ponder not the beauty around me but something even more beautiful.
Nepal and its people are grounded firmly in Buddhism. It is apparent everywhere. A stupa here, a "sacred" mani stone there, countless prayer flags, and the distant hum of a local lama chanting daily prayers surround me constantly. One of the "highlights" of any trek to Everest Basecamp and for the expedition member is a visit to Lama Geshe. He is the reigning holiest of holy Buddhist spiritual advisors, 2nd only to the Dalai Lama. For a small donation you can enter his monastery high in the mountains, bow to him, and receive a blessing of safety for your expedition as he throws rice all over you. Yesterday, around the snack table this visit became our groups topic of conversation. Everyone became so excited with the prospect of receiving this special blessing.
Backtrack 5 minutes. As this conversation began to develope I turned on my I-pod shuffle. For those not familiar, you load your I-pod with hundreds of songs from many different artists. In listening to the music, one option you have is to shuffle the music inventory so that there is a true mix of music. The VERY 1st song that came on was by Casting Crowns - The Voice of Truth. One of the lines of this song is "With all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth".
With excitement in the air we went around the table and everyone began to give their approval of this "sacred" visit. All eyes turned to me awaiting my response. With Casting Crowns playing in the background and with all the voices calling out to me, I chose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth. In the Bible book of John, the 14th chapter, and 6th verse, Jesus says " I am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life, no man comes to the Father except through Me.
I believe any and all blessings, past, present, and future come from Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. If I achieve the summit of Mount Everest, I rest assured knowing that that blessing came from above and not from some "blessing" received by a Buddhist holy man.

9 comments:

Mom said...

Amen, Ben and PTL as you stand firm to God's Truth and speak out for Him. What tremendous "missionary" opportunities you are encountering to share the "light of the glorious gospel of Christ." On this end, we continue to pray.

Much love,
Mom and Dad

Josie said...

You brought Tears to my eyes today.
With God by your side anything is possible.

Randy and I are praying for you to have a succesful and safe summit

Mike Atherton said...

Good work Ben...Keep it up! We are praying for you daily. Be safe and we look forward to continuing to follow your progress.

Blessings!

Mike and Sara Atherton

Anonymous said...

Ben, He is Risen Indeed. We continue to pray for you, your team, and for the peoples all around you. May He be revealed to all. Thanks for standing firm in Him. Blessings!!

Wayne and Betty Griess

Brian said...

Ben,

Again, thanks for taking the time to keep this blog up to date. It is great to be able to tag along with you on this journey. We pray you will have a safe climb and enjoy living your dream!

Your story reminds me of the two reporters in the Middle East a few years ago. They were captured and told they would be set free if they would proclaimed their allegiance to Islam. After being freed, they boasted of how "easy" it was to make this declaration and "fool" their captors into releasing them.

Those men turned their backs on Him for their own personal gain. Bless you for being in a Buddhist nation, surrounded by Buddhists, and proclaiming Him as the Truth!

- Brian Tardiff

Diana said...

I am SO PROUD of you!
LOVE YOU!

The Doctor said...

Good for you, Ben. We're proud of you for taking a stand. What sort of "blessing" can one give who does not even know God?
Send us the names of your teammates and tell them that we will be praying for you and for them as well. I think that would be a better blessing, as we are talking to the living God who created the heavens and the earth, who knows us and wants to know us more.

Anonymous said...

Great pictures and great decision on the 'blessing'. Isaiah 40:31 - 'Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.'

Sam Burgin

KYCNote said...

Preach it!!!!!!!!