“THERE IS NO GREATER JOY THAN TO HAVE AN ENDLESSLY CHANGING HORIZON, FOR EACH DAY TO HAVE A NEW & DIFFERENT SUN”
( Christopher McCandless )
Christopher McCandless was a wilderness explorer, who graduated from Emory University in Goergia. Upon graduation he gave away his trust fund, which had accrued to $24,000, burned whatever money that was remaining in his possession, & disappeared into the vast expanse of the unknown. In September 1992, a hunter found his dead & decomposing body inside an abandoned bus. Among the items that was discovered was his journal that detailed his travels as well as the food items that Chris ate that may have contributed to his death. In 2007, Jon Krakauer, a noted adventurist, journalist, & author, wrote a book, “Into The Wild” chronicling the life & journeys of Christopher McCandless.
For whatever opinion we may have concerning his life, one thing is for certain — his quote above chronicles the mind of every person. His, is not unlike many of us, indeed, we all wish some type of inexpressable joy everyday of our lives. And it is certainly true that we seek adventure of the mind & heart as well as the physical audacity of going into the wild.
Take note then, how many parents chronicle the first moments of their newborn infant or how mothers & fathers wish to document & film every “first” that the newborn accomplishes. It is rich in joy — as much as it is for the infant, it seems even more so for the parents. Does this not prove some deal of merit to the chase? The chasing after that rich joy of the “endelessly changing horizon”? Does he mean that literally? Obviously, there is only one horizon with one sun, thus this is an example of metphorical hyperbole — you cannot have more than one horizon & more than one sun.. unless.. You change your perspective & change your trajectory time & again.
Experiences with different people; experiences in different climates & weather patterns; experiences with different traditions & cultures; experiences with different food items & food tastes. There is a myriad of ways in which humans can engage their world & seek the different in such a degree that certain joys of immense proportion can certainly arise. But not many of us would be bold enough to venture past our front porch in search of it.
Which begs the question? Why Alaska, of all places? This is the location of Chris’ last moments on earth. There are many theories on the web & they all make sense. But I think, Chris was in search of something far more than simply experiencing the journey of this material human existence. Certainly, he wanted to escape abuse & flee the hurt & evil that he had experienced during his precious time prior to graduation. And indeed, that hurt & evil was as real an experience as he wanted to obtain joy to the very opposite degree.
But Chris could have obtained all this traveling as far south as he could go. Yet, he was determined to go north. That determination led him to that abandoned bus & it seems that he wanted to live out his days in that bus seeking whatever joy that will come after. Seeking whatever joy that will come after.. Think about that for a second. What joy that will come after? It seems to me that Chris was seeking something far more than material — he was seeking something more ethereal; something beyond him, his life, & this material universe. He was seeking a place beyond. He couldn’t describe what it was or what, in fact, he was seeking. Yet, he was seeking something that existed beyond the temporal spectrum of living & seeking an idea, a concept, or even a thought of a universe that existed beyond this one.
In my opinion, what Christopher McCandless was seeking — true north.
To discover that the moral compass of every human being lay elsewhere beyond the horizon; that the moral compass that he wished to obtain was obtainable through meditation & the right mindset; that the moral compass he wished to have was the same moral compass that everyone wished to have. Except that that is not true. Not everyone travels to Alaska to bask in the glory of finally obtaining their moral compass. No. We travel to Alaska to bask in the glory & riches of the beauty of the natural world. And in that richness we find ourselves & glory in ourselves of having found it. Chris was not seeking that. He wanted more than that. And he was willing to die for that which he wanted to seek — die until he found what he was looking for.
A compass, I learnt when I was surveying, it'll... it'll point you True North from where you're standing, but it's got no advice about the swamps and dessert and chasm that you'll encounter along the way. If in pursuit of your destination, you plunge ahead, heedless of obstacles, and achieve nothing more than to sink in a swamp... What's the use of knowing True North? ( ‘Lincoln,’ 2012 )
If there is a moral compass that exists in every human, then this quote should give rise to some hair-raising exclamations. Because knowing true north does not help you in the immediate necessities of living — indeed the swamps, obstacles, & deserts that lay in the path as we know the direction of true north does not manage our affairs of actually getting there. In this case, there is something value-less of knowing true north — what is the purpose of moral compass if in the possession of it that compass cannot lead us to where we want to go?
Oftentimes, this is almost equivalent of our understanding of Christianity. In some ways, religiously, we seek that compass, our true north by attending church & becoming as religiously adept as possible. We are often confused as to why that does not change our behavior or change our mentality or change or disposition. We forget & we must be reminded always — the object is Christ. Not our change; not our transformation; not even our good, moral compass that we all want to obtain.
Revelation 22:16
16 “I, Jesus, have sent MY Angel to TESTIFY to you about THESE THINGS for the Churches. I am the ROOT & the Descendant of David, the BRIGHT MORNING STAR”
There is nothing wrong with wanting change, transformation, & a moral compass, but in, & of themselves, they are of no value to us. They can present barriers to the true object — immortality & eternal life. And who can provide these but Christ, Himself. In the everyday menial boredom, we can soon forget that the advancement of the human life is nothing more than the pursuit of the betterment of ourselves. But Christ is the Morning Star! Lest we forget & better still that we will be reminded as often as we may dare that it is He that is the true object.
In all the ruminations of humankind; in all the thoughts that we may have concerning a moral compass & true north, the life that Chris McCandless sought is right within our grasp. There is not a chasing after the wind or attempting to journey off into the forgotten wilderness or lend yourselves to a ceaseless mind into the vast reaches of the subconscious. In all these objects the chase is the same — finding our compass. And THAT compass is Christ. It never changes. The thought remains the same — Always Christ!
Believe on Him & what He has done for you — died on the Cross for your sins & resurrected to eternal glory so that you & I can possess the object of our lives. The richness & the joys of living in this material universe can be found. In the Christ, He enables in us that thought & mind of seeing the world in the way in He wants us to see the world. The observable universe is filled with His glory & excellence! Why would He want to hide that from us? Only in the Son Of God, the Christ, can we be filled with the enourmous expanse of the created world.
He emboldens us to share in that richly, for it is not unto us & for us individually but for all to share in the wonders of this world. This enormous expanse however temporal is nothing but a morsel of the infinite joy we will possess on the other side of eternity. The Christ sharpens our minds & renews our focus in Him, that in all we see are but the glimpses of His Face.
He empowers us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. This is His restorative power; the transforming grace; the renewal of our hearts to Christ. We are not at this alone, there is a real presence & a real power dwelling inside every one of us, who calls Jesus as Lord. It is why all things are for Him & to Him because it is from Him we have all the things that are in the fullness of Him. What this means is that in possession of Christ, we will have all the joys of the immensity of Heaven. The glory that spills out from the bosom of Christ comes to us into overflow because of the Christ we have in us.
Therefore, Brothers & Sisters, the object is Christ. Receive Him, Know Him, & Love Him with all adoration! And see what Joys He may instill in us all!
Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality.
( Abraham Lincoln )
