The Mountain (A Short Story by Chris byers)

One day a group of men got together to discuss an expedition. The expedition would be to the great mountain in the middle of their city. It was believed amongst the citizens of the city, that at the top of this great mountain, resided the secret of eternal life.

The day finally arrived when the expedition was set to begin. Each man gathered his gear, and proceeded towards the foot of the mountain.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the men’s attention was drawn towards a grouping of wooden signs. One sign read “wide and easy to navigate.”

A man in the group named Joshua, noticed off in the distance another sign. This sign was different than the other, and was set far enough apart from it to appear difficult to reach. Being filled with curiosity, the men traversed the rocky path to gain a closer view of the sign.

Finally, the men reached the small, barely noticeable sign. This sign read, “the narrow path which is the only way to the top.”

“Balderdash,” said the man called Hare, “why would the only true path be so far away from the other obvious ones?

“I agree with Hare,” chimed Sid, “it makes no sense, and I’m in no mood to traverse a difficult trail.”

“Don’t you see?” pleaded Joshua, “if this is the only path of its kind, doesn’t that intrigue you? Why would the path even be there, if it was not true in what it says?”

“Joshua, you can keep your narrow and difficult way, Hare and I will meet you at the top,” replied Sid.

With that, Sid and Hare departed back towards the broad path. Joshua was left alone, and began to wonder if he was making the right decision. The path ahead would be difficult, but something inside him, a kind of conviction of heart he couldn’t place, drew him forward to the narrow path.

After climbing for some time, Sid and Hare could see Joshua below them struggling with his path.

“At this rate, Joshua will never make it here,” Hare claimed, “How can he expect to find the secret to eternal life, when he can’t even keep pace with us?”

Joshua did not hear Hare’s words, but he was beginning to worry that his friends had been right. His body ached with each step towards the top. Yet, each time he was about to give up, something inside him pushed him forward.

About half way up the mountain, Hare and Sid stopped to eat and see about Joshua’s progress. In truth, they were more concerned about proving him wrong than the actual disposition of their friend.

“I can’t wait to get to the top,” said Hare, “then we can tell Joshua how foolish his choices were.”

“I know,” Sid agreed, “How could he have thought the difficult path was correct? After all, this path has been so simple to navigate, it has to be right!”

Sid and Hare finished eating when they saw Joshua off in the distance, finally gaining ground.

“Hey Joshua!,” they yelled across the chasm that separated them, “how is your ‘correct’ path?” they mocked.

Joshua paid no attention and stayed focused. He was determined that he was doing the right thing. Something felt right about this path.

Hare and Sid’s teases could still be heard as he continued to climb.

“Joshua, is your path so great that you think you’re better than us?” they chided, “why’d you choose the difficult path? Was it to prove something?”

Joshua wondered how they could perceive his path as anything but the correct way. He wasn’t thinking of it as exclusive. He simply felt something convicting him as to the correctness of this path.

Sid and Hare suddenly stopped. They had reached a fork in their own path. To the left, the sign said, “love is all you need,” and to the right the sign read, “the answer is within.”

“Well those don’t make much sense, do they, Hare?” Sid inquired.
“No, I suppose not,” he retorted, “but I have always felt that loving everyone around me was the only true way to be a good person, I think I’ll take the left path.”

“Well, Hare, I agree with your premise,” Sid stated, “But, I prefer to look within myself for peace that propels me to good works; I’ll take the right path.”

“So you’re saying your path is correct?” Hare added angrily. “You’re gonna be intolerant of my choice now too?! You’re just as bad as Joshua!”

“What about you?!,” Sid argued, “you are basically saying the same by choosing your way and ignoring mine!”

Joshua could see across the chasm and he no longer recognized his friends. Hare and Sid were bickering in a way he had not seen before. Something was changing within them.
Meanwhile, all Joshua felt was a sense of peace. He sensed all of his troubles being washed away. It was refreshing, and encouraged him as he pushed past the jagged rocks and branches that lined his path.

Hare chose love and went left, while Sid chose inner reflection to the right. Both paths were still broad and easy to navigate, so neither gave a second thought to his decision.

Hare thought to himself that he must have chosen correctly because his path was lined with the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen. A wealth of color flooded his vision as he progressed onward.

Sid was experiencing much of the same, and felt he must have chosen correctly. His path had a calming breeze that soothed the soul as he walked ever upward. He felt his mind emptying of all distracting thoughts.

Finally, the peak of the mountain was in sight. Joshua could feel his incline getting steeper and knew he’d need his advanced climbing gear soon. He stopped a moment to gather it.
Suddenly, he looked up and saw a being surrounded by light standing next to him. He was afraid and cowered against a rock.

“Do not be afraid,” the being stated calmly, “I am here to help.”

“What kind of help?” Joshua Inquired, “who..are you?”

“Joshua, there are many paths to the top of the mountain, but in your wisdom and faith you chose the path which seemed most difficult. It is this path which truly leads to eternal existence. I am here to give you strength for the rest of your journey.”

Joshua felt frozen in place. He had felt compelled to this path, but was unsure as to why. Now it seemed that there was a purpose in that choosing.

The being explained that many had taken the broad paths which eventually lead to destruction, not the top of the mountain. He explained how the world had placed the sign to the broad path in plain sight, offering an easy, comfortable path.

“The path to God,” the being began, “is only found through his Son. In your heart, you know of whom I speak. God has chosen you for the gift of life, and his Spirit convicts your heart even now showing that you are on the right path.”

“I believe,” stated Joshua, “but I’m not sure I can make it the rest of the way.”

“Truly, there will be difficulty,” the being cautioned, “but I will be with you.”

Joshua felt encouraged and began climbing the steep face of the mountain. He no longer saw the being, but felt his presence around him. A cold wind began to blow, and he nearly lost his footing multiple times.
Joshua was nearing the top when his hand reached out and hit a jagged edge. He ignored the pain in his hand and kept climbing.

Meanwhile, Hare and Sid’s paths had crossed again.

“So Hare, I see your path was the same as mine in the end,” Sid teased. “Maybe Love isn’t all you need.”

“Your inner reflection doesn’t seem to have made your path much better, Hare retorted.”

Hare and Sid could see the peak, and began progressing together towards the top, bickering the whole way.

Joshua pulled himself up over the top of the face, and found the most beautiful city, laid out before him. It’s streets were paved with gold, and a river ran down through the city, it’s source coming from a temple. There was a radiant light which made everything below the mountain seem to pale in comparison.

That’s when he noticed. From his vantage point, Joshua could see the broad path. His heart ached for Hare and Sid when he saw the gap that separated them from the mountain peak.

Hare and Sid must have realized the same thing because they saw Joshua high above them, and witnessed no conceivable way before them of reaching him.

“Joshua!” they yelled, “Help us to the top.”

“It is not  within my power to help,” Joshua replied, “I tried to warn you of your path, but you did not heed my warning.”

The landscape upon which Hare and Sid were standing began to change. The bright floral arrangements that lined the path, turned to thorns. The cool breeze became blistering heat in an instant.

“Joshua!” Hare Called, “we were wrong. Let us come taste from the water of the city’s river.”

“It is not mine to give,” Joshua replied, “ and there is a great chasm fixed between us, so that neither may cross over.”

Hare and Sid became angry and gnashed their teeth, tearing their clothes and throwing up dust from the ground.

A few moments passed and Joshua realized he could no longer see Hare and Sid. He turned to see the being from before.

“Welcome Home Joshua,” he said, “the narrow and difficult path leads to eternal life, while wide and broad is the path to destruction. You have been set apart by God for this gift, and convicted of the correct path.”

“What about Sid and Hare?” Joshua inquired of the being.

“Their decision and disbelief in the one true way, led only to destruction. Their path seemed correct at times, but ultimately ended in separation. Their arrogant beliefs which ignored the one truth path, have sealed their fate, and they are responsible for that decision.”

“I understand,” Joshua calmly stated.

“Come,” the being beckoned, “by faith you have believed, even without seeing, and it is counted unto you as righteousness.”

Joshua stepped forward, following the being to the temple at the center of the city, knowing that ahead lay overwhelming joy. He thanked God in his heart for choosing him.
“God, while I may not have been actively seeking you, in your mercy you chose me to be an example. I thank you, and accept your gift of eternal life.”

Joshua reached the entrance to the temple. The door opened, and he stepped inside.