Jesus invited his three closest disciples to go up a mountain with him (Matthew 17).
There his appearance altered, bathed in bright light that dazzled the disciples.
Moses & Elijah appear, two of Israel’s greatest prophets.
This was the “transfiguration”, a mountaintop experience. It changed the disciples forever answering their deep-seated doubts about who Jesus really was and confirming he was the Messiah.
They then came down into the valley & Jesus healed a sick boy.
The valley was where Jesus was at work, where the needs were & where he was needed the most.
For Peter the experience on the mountain motivated him to work in the valley; he was no longer afraid of going into the valleys. He would let others know about Jesus. The mountain experience gave him confidence.
On the mountain top it’s where everything seems good. You can find peace, calm & happiness. You can be alone. A place to think. There are great views that take your breath away. You can see farther & clearer (You can’t do that in the valley.). Everything is in sight. You can see where you want to go. But you can’t stay up there forever.
Valleys are the low points, places where things aren’t going well, where tragedy hits, problems seem unsurmountable & you get shadows (from the mountains) so the light grows dim.
In the valley is where we need God the most. It’s where our faith grows.
So we need to escape to the mountain top from time to time (retreats, sabbaticals, time out) for refreshment, re-charging of batteries, to see clearly, away from the irritations in the valley.
But you can’t stay up there forever. You have to return to the valley with its challenges of everyday life, strengthened by the mountain top experience.
Sometimes we can be called to work in the valley, to be alongside those in need. Here there’s no romance of the mountain but it’s where we’re needed the most & where we’re most likely to meet with God.