Trailblazers

Whenever I need to feel close to God, I head to the mountains.

Jesus went to the wilderness to pray, and so do I. Even if it’s just a little state park an hour from where I live in Manhattan, the outdoors is where I feel God draw near. I hear his voice in the soft silence. I catch a glimpse of something larger, more powerful, truer than anything I experience in my daily routine.

My wife, Kate, feels the same way. We’ve raised our kids with an appreciation for God’s presence in nature. We took them on their first backpacking trip before they started elementary school. This year, with the kids now 11 and 14, we plan to hike a good portion of the 211-mile John Muir Trail in California’s rugged Sierra Nevada. Kate is a pastor, and we both hope this will be as much of a spiritual journey as a physical one.

I believe the opening chapters of Scripture are clear about our responsibility to take care of God’s creation. I grieve for the