Hunter Christner

The mountains are calling. Summertime in the Mountain West means we gear up for camping and fishing trips to explore the great outdoors. I enjoy the anticipation of what is going to happen and what I will get to experience. 

What is it going to look like? Aren’t you always impressed by the beautiful scenery? Getting away from the busyness of the week creates time and space to reflect, ponder, and develop a fresh perspective on things.

How long has it been since you thought about the things you can’t see? I don’t mean microorganisms… I mean the invisible world… the spiritual realm you might call it. Maybe you never have. It is real and has a significant impact on our daily lives. How you view the intersection of the invisible world (or the spiritual realm) and the visible world (or the physical world) is the foundation of your worldview.

 Your worldview is based on knowledge, experiences, and assumptions. It’s the same for me. If I didn’t have any assumptions, I would be all knowing… and my wife will tell you that’s not true. 

Asking yourself good questions is a great way to discover what your assumptions are. I was challenged recently by a good question about the foundation of my worldview. 

Are you willing to challenge yours? Here’s the question: How much influence does the spiritual realm have on the physical world? In other words, how much influence does the spiritual realm have on your life? 

There are four basic answers. First, the spiritual realm doesn’t exist. This is what a materialist would say. Second, the spiritual realm and the physical realm both exist but don’t intersect at all. This would describe the view of a Deist. Third, the spiritual realm and the physical realm both exist and there is some overlap. This is an extremely popular view in modern Christianity among many other supernatural worldviews. Fourth, the spiritual realm and physical realm both exist and the physical realm is completely enveloped inside of the spiritual realm.

There are other possible answers, but these are the four most popular views. 

The Bible holds the position of the fourth view. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 

John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” 

In Colossians 1:15-16 the Bible says, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth.” 

God is in charge of the invisible world as well as the visible world, which he created.

While you are in the mountains this summer, I encourage you to think about your view of the intersection between the spiritual realm and the physical realm. What sort of impact does the spiritual realm have on your life? Do you live like the spiritual realm is all around you all of the time? 

In Romans 1:20 Paul says, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” 

Think through these things as you admire the mountains that God made and consider exactly how much of your life you think is worth surrendering to him. 

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20) 

Jesus, the one through whom all things were made, loves you and longs for a relationship with you. You can connect with Jesus by welcoming him into your heart and talking with him as you continue to learn about his creation. 

The mountains are calling.

(Hunter Christner is interning at Campus Ventures at Northwest College).