“Aint No Mountain High”

When our LC group went to Atlanta over spring break, we experienced glimpses of God working all around us. We saw firsthand through the preservation and maintenance of the Martin Luther King historic district, the story of racial tension and inequities our country faced then and now and how we might best move beyond it. We shared bunk rooms with students from other schools learning about homelessness and housing inequities and how the hands of God were used in all those who serve and feed the needy. Some of our group climbed neighboring Stone Mountain and came back from a climbing “high” singing the song above. As it’s one of my favorite songs of all time, I kept singing it much to the students’ chagrin.

What I didn’t realize at the time was the speech I read the next day, “I’ve been to the Mountaintop” by MLK, reinforced the lyrics in the song. It confirmed my belief of God’s infinite and unconditional love for each of us and how God is with us through our struggles.  Dr. King, speaking in support of the Sanitation Workers’ Strike in Memphis, gave his forever famous and prophet speech: “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life…but I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you…I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” Dr. King knew God was there with him at that moment and that his salvation would be with his Creator. God sent us his son to die for us, and MLK was willing to risk his own life to further the Kingdom for love and justice of each person’s human dignity.

While I read this speech, the song was still in my brain and it clicked…God was telling me that I can and should do more with God’s help to further Dr. King’s fight. The lyrics “ain’t no mountain high or valley low, or river wide” meant that nothing keep God from being present to you and me.  Jesus asked that I “remember the day, I set you free, I told you you could always count on me.” For MLK, the mountain was surmountable in his fight for racial equality because God was there. For me, my hope is to continue Dr. King’s fight for dignity among all humanity knowing no barrier is too great with God’s presence beside me.