Harry Truman. No, not the 33rd President of the United States Harry Truman, but the Harry Truman who owned a lodge on Spirit Lake at the base of Mt. St. Helens. Oh him. Yea, he became something of a local icon and celebrity during the months running up to the eruption of the mountain on May 18, 1980.
A veteran of World War I, a prospector and bootlegger by trade, Truman built and ran the Mt. St. Helens Lodge for fifty-two years. He was eighty-four years old when the volcano began showing signs of an eruption. When the US government evacuated all residences from the region, Truman refused to comply with the orders. He believed the threat was exaggerated as the mountain was a full mile from his lodge. More so, at his age, where would he go and what would he do? Truman tied his fate to the mountain.
A mountain worth dying on. Harry Truman was not the first to dig his heels into the ground and tie his fate to a mountain. He certainly won’t be the last.
Following the Roman invasion of Jerusalem, when Herod’s Temple was razed, nearly a thousand Jewish Zealots fled to the southern region of the Dead Sea. Escaping the terror, they sought refuge in one of Herod’s fortified palaces on top of a mountain. Slaughtering a garrison, they secured the fortress, Masada. However, three years later the Romans laid a three month siege to the fortress. They built a four hundred foot ramp to reach the gates, and once breached they found the Jewish dissidents had committed suicide. For these Jewish Zealots, given the choice of death, torture and captivity, Masada was a mountain worth dying on.
Mountains, beyond the awe-inspiring view, are easily fortified and defended. An advancing army could be spotted miles away. When that army approached the holdout, they had an “uphill battle,” giving the advantage to those holding the mountain. From the spiritual viewpoint, mountains make us feel closer to God. Sacred places are often found on mountains, and religious encounters are referred to as “mountain top experiences.” Both military and spiritual aspect, it’s easy to see people finding a mountain worth dying on.
Mountains play an important role through the biblical narrative. Noah’s ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (Gen. 8:4). Abraham is asked to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah (Gen. 22:2). Moses is called by God on Mt. Horeb (Ex. 3:1). Israel camps and receives the Law at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:1-20:21). Moses’s death is on Mt. Nebo overlooking the Promised Land (Deut. 32:48-52). David captures the Jebusite fortress on Mt. Zion to claim as his capital city (2 Sam. 5:6-7). Elijah staged the battle between YHWH and Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 King. 18:16-46), then fled to Mt. Horeb when he feared for his life (1 King. 19:1-9).
But as important as mountains are throughout the biblical story, not all are created equal. Not all mountains are worth dying on. If we created a mountain out of a molehill, it’s probably not a hill to fight, claim or give your life to. In Harry Truman’s case, I’m not sure it was a mountain worth dying on. The same might be said of the Zealots of Masada. Might. But that’s the point, right? Not all mountains are equal.
When Jesus called people to follow him, he was bold up front. He said, “Count the cost” (Lk. 14:28), in order to determine whether following him is cherished over the long haul. Jesus was headed up to a small mountain “knoll” that looked like a man’s bald head. There he would be crucified, executed for our sins. It was a mountain worth dying on, and he calls us to that mountain. But it’s our choice as to whether that knoll is a mountain worth dying on.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)