John C. Bowling — president of Olivet Nazarene University and president of the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene — climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Making the Climb is his memoir of this event.
Bowling approached the climb as much more than a mental or physical challenge. For him, the climb had a strong spiritual component, included prayerful preparation, and the memoir has many prayers throughout the text.
Bowling divides his book into several sections: The Principle of Preparation, The Principle of Perseverance, and The Principle of Perspective.
The narrative shows that John climbed Kilimanjaro the same time of year that Greg and I will climb, so I paid close attention to his experience. His experience reminds me that — no matter what we’ve done to prepare — nothing will fully prepare us to climb Kilimanjaro.
The stars we see when we climb Kilimanjaro will not be the same stars we see when we hike at home.
The challenges we face when we climb Kilimanjaro will be amplified by the lack of oxygen.
There will be self doubt. There may be injury, confusion. We will likely be humbled and our self perceptions will likely be challenged.
Bowling’s prose is both simple and beautiful. This is not a typical memoir nor is it a field guide. It will be very much appreciated by those who hope to find a spiritual aspect in their Kilimanjaro climb.
