9 / 24
The Pinecone
|
October 2016
• 9 •
f r om Don J oh n s on , K i r b y P i n e s Chap l a i n
Chaplain’s COrner
In 1933 James Hilton wrote his intriguing novel, “Lost Horizon.”
It was a remarkable story about Shangri-la, a legendary place of a
mystical lamasery in the Hulan Mountains of Tibet.
In the novel a British diplomat, Hugh Conway, escaping his post
in a dangerous part of India, was a passenger on a plane that was
hijacked and crashed in the mountains. At the crash a Chinese
man named Chang led Conway and three other passengers on
a mysterious path through the snow covered mountains to an
unbelievable lush and green valley called Shangri-la. Surprised,
but delighted, Hugh Conway and his fellow travelers comfortably
settled in this remarkable place. In almost every way it was a
perfect environment, a Paradise beyond description.
However, a shocking reality was soon discovered. All those in
Shangri-la lived long beyond normal age. They aged extremely
slowly. It was hard to tell how long the people had been around
because they looked so young. There was one strange circumstance
to this longevity of life in Shangri-la. If anyone chose to leave this
paradise, their real age quickly overwhelmed them and they died
soon after their departure.
A French friar, Perrault, who had supposedly come to the place in
1719 and became the head Lama, was now (in 1930) looking for
a successor. Conway was the chosen one and was given charge of
Shangri-la as its new lama.
LOST HORIZON
One of Conway’s associates, Charles Mallinson, felt this paradise
was more a curse than a blessing. He wanted to leave and pushed
Hugh to guide him out through the secret mountain passage. Hugh,
joined by one of the beautiful, young looking women, Lo-Tsen,
agreed to lead Mallinson out.
Conway was stricken with amnesia and was hospitalized in China.
When his memory returned, he told his story to a writer, Rutherford,
who gave his manuscript to a narrator and the unbelievable story
was told. The writer saw Conway leaving China and believed he
was going in search of that special mountain trail that would take
him back to Shangri-la.
In 1937 Frank Capra made a movie of Hilton’s “Lost Horizon”
starring Ronald Coleman, Jane Wyatt and Edward Everett Horton.
It was filmed, not in the mountains of Tibet, but in Sherwood Forest
and Palm Springs, California.
Hilton captured something that many look for. There is a belief and
longing for a “Paradise.” Somewhere there must be a place better
than the present one of trouble and turmoil. We never stop looking
for a solution that will reverse aging and all its attendant issues.
Beyond the cold and rugged path there must be a warm, lush valley
where all is perfect.
John 14:1-3 is a biblical description of our coming Paradise.
From the mouth of Christ come the words, “Let not your heart be
troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s
house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.
And I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that
where I am, there you may be also.”
John speaks of this in Revelation 21, “Behold, the tabernacle of
God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be
His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be
no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and there shall be no more
pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Paradise was lost through original sin in Eden’s Garden. Paradise
was regained in Gethsemane’s Garden 20 Centuries ago as the
Lord made His choice of “not my will but Thine be done,” walked
up Golgotha’s Hill to be crucified, rose again in validation of His
Great Love so we could find our “Lost Horizon.” To many this is
the “Lost Horizon.” But it can be found. Change can come. We can
take the step today. It can happen now!
Till next time, Don Johnson, Kirby Pines Chaplain
October Vesper Serv ices
•
6:30pm
•
Per formi ng Ar t s Center
October 13th
Rev Deborah Christiansen
St. Stephen
United Methodist Church
October 20th
Dave Phillips
Germantown
Church of Christ
October 27th
Dr. Cindy Schwartz
Advent
Presbyterian Church
October 6th
David Cross
First Assembly
of God