The mountain, in fact, is over 20,000 feet high. Climbing it was no easy feat. After reading that, I was struck by the realization which may sound simple, but it dawned on me that mountains really are hard to climb. The religious imagination has long known this. Mountains have long represented problems to be solved, obstacles to be overcome, crosses to be carried, burdens to be borne, troubles to be triumphed over, and difficulties to be dealt with.
Mountains are problems.
Death is a mountain. Sickness is a mountain. Troubles are mountains. Hardships are mountains. Family crises are mountains.