Wilderness Camping Brings Life Down to Basics

It was most definitely the best decision I made to begin my Sabbatical with 6 days in a wilderness setting where I was literally disconnected from the rest of the world. It helped me to begin making the shift from working pastor to renewing pastor and I am confident it helped the Church to make the shift from relying on me to trusting their own resources and capabilities. In the woods life is reduced to its most basic functions. You spend your time preparing your meals, eating, sleeping, bringing water from the middle of the lake (where is more pure) to your campsite, taking care of your campsite, moving camp -- in otherwords, you basically spend your time taking care of yourself at the level of very basic needs , along with taking care of those immediately with you. There is not time to strive after things, possessions -- not much you could do with them if you had them anyway. There is just basic life, taking care of yourself and those you love. Which is really all life is about and all it really needs to be about. We have laid so many layers of expectations over life in civilization that at times we really lose the essence of life and what is most important at its core. Taking care of our basic needs and taking care of those we love. That is what Jesus called us to remember: Love God and love our neighbor as we love ourself. He also expanded our circle of love to include everyone around us, including those we don't much like or are afraid of. Take care of those you love! Do that and in truth most of life will take care of itself.