clearly seen

having pulled ourselves with aching calves out of the huge crack, where we had a bit of an expensive encounter with r.j., the skinny ranger on the last 2 mile stretch, we started walking back towards the canyon village, eventually getting picked up by the buckles, a couple of carefree, retired wisconsinites. they gave us a nice loaf of stale bread.
we realized that our urban existence has left us unconscious of some of the intimidating and inhuman attributes of our great God, during this drop into the crack. our understanding of God has been shaped by a new analogy, here. we are aware of the immensity of God, and of His inapproachableness. he is too great to reduce to a map, a documentary, or a tour, let alone a postcard or an engraved spoon. he rests in places we are not even able to see, and to which we are definitely not able to climb. we see the terrible and frightening aspects of his nature. we are terrified by what we see here. our breath is taken from us, and our only response is speaty palms and a dry mouth. God is the designer of this, both directly and indirectly. every attribute of this place is but a dim reflection of the same attribute to an infinite degree within his supreme nature. he is immense. he is infinitely layered. he is frightening in his beauty and in his potential to be dangerous. he is higher than we can ever reach and lower than we can find a way to descend. he is complex in detail. he is wild, but always orderly. he is vast beyond human observation or habitation. he might be around any bend or on the top of any stone tower. i am afraid of him, and don't know how to go about finding him.
i am glad i have a guide. i am glad my guide knows the path...is the path.