Date: 2016-07-13
From: PA 16 - 1066.6

To: Shippensburg Road - 1093.2
Miles today: 26.6
Weather: clear sky

After watching our potbellied friend one last time as we enjoyed our breakfast (no, we didn't eat bacon), we hit the road again, this time in Pennsylvania. The reputation of Pennsylvania is that it is very rocky. We shall see. After lunch, there was a section of trail that was very steep. Ominously, someone had put a black diamond on the sign approaching that section of trail which read "most difficult" like you would see at a ski resort. It's just a walk in the woods, isn't it? How difficult can it really be? Not bad at all, at least for now. The trail leveled out after a few tenths of a mile and was wide and flat for most of the rest of the day. And what a day it was. It was actually the longest day yet at 26.6 miles. We are moving fast right now! One neat thing about Pennsylvania is that the lack of elevation (mostly below 2000ft) seems to be offset by the higher latitude when it comes to plant life. We saw rhododendrons in bloom today, along with numerous mountain laurels that had recently bloomed. These plants were done blooming a month ago further south and we didn't see as many at lower elevations. On the trail, Sherpa chatted with "Twinkle Toes", a fellow northbound thruhiker who started in late April. He was in his early 30's, had recently lost his job and broke up with a long time girlfriend. Never hiked before, he decided to hit the trail to clear his mind. The conversation lasted several miles and reminded Sherpa of the brokenness in this world. This is a story we have heard over and over again while on the trail over the last few months with slightly different details. Praying he finds healing while taking this step back from life. If there was only one thing we took away from our hike, it would be the incredible amount of hurting and brokenness that surrounds us this side of glory right here in the United States. It's really easy to spend time with people who appear to have it all together, while unconsciously pushing away or avoiding the ones who don't. It's comfortable. But is that how Jesus lived? Wasn't he called a friend of sinners? Sadly, when he walked the earth, he found the religious people of that day in love with their comforts and shunning those who needed Gods love most. And worst of all, they rejected the teachings of Jesus. Would he find religious people of today any different? Luke 16:14 says that they ridiculed him, because they were lovers of money. It then goes on and really speaks to us today, challenging us to question the American Dream of consumption with the words "For what is exalted among men, is an abomination in the sight of God." (A friend texted that verse to us today- hope it challenges you too). It's really a fascinating dilemma that some Christians find themselves in. There is such outstanding wisdom in the word of God that produces a very comfortable life. For example, simple obedience to the command not to be controlled by any substance but to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit means a faithful believer won't do drugs and won't get drunk which will save them an incredible amount of money and heartache. The dilemma of course is that some people fall in love with the blessings that come with obedience instead of falling deeper in love with the God who blesses and there is a tendency to seek after the blessing rather than the blesser. And there is a broken and hurting world a few footsteps away and an eternity away. Probably why in the same chapter, Jesus points out that it is impossible to pursue both God and money while urging us to use our physical resources on others "to be welcomed by them in eternal mansions" (i.e. using money in ways that result in others getting saved). And he's not just telling religious people to check a box by dropping a check in an offering plate. He's telling us to have the same love for people that he does and to show them the love that we have received so they might find hope and healing. And for us to use everything at our disposal to that end. While on the topic of financial stewardship, did you know that Little Ceasars has an $8 deep dish pizza that is actually quite good? Big enough for one thruhiker and his wife! We liked it so much a few days ago that we had it again today. Alright, there might be something in the water... we had crazy bread yesterday. That's right, little ceasars 3 days in a row!