The Fifth Mountain
- Paulo Coelho
(author of The Alchemist)
[From the back of the book]:
An inspiring story of faith and triumph over suffering"
Crafted with masterful prose and clarity of vision, The Fifth Mountain is Paulo Coelho's inspiring story of the biblical prophet Elijah. Fleeing his homeland from persecution in the ninth century B.C., twenty-three-year-old Elijah takes refuge with a young widow and her son in the beautiful town of Akbar. Already struggling to maintain his sanity in a world fraught with tyranny and war, he is now forced to choose between his newly discovered love and his overwhelming sense of duty.
Evoking all the drama and intrigue of the colorful, chaotic world of the Middle East, Paulo Coelho turns the trials into an intensely moving account of a man's soul-shattering trial of faith."
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Let me start out by saying, as I said for The Alchemist, I absolutely LOVE reading books that bring to life Bible stories that I've known my whole life but have never really been able to relate to.
I should also start out by warning that this book does not claim to be an actual/factual account of Elijah's experience, but it paints such a full picture of what Elijah's experiences 'could' have been like. It empowers my imagination to have a richer understanding of what parts of Elijah's life may have really been like.
The book starts out with Elijah, at the age of 23, facing persecution in the form of execution for his faith.
I am currently 23 years of age so it's exciting for me to identify with Elijah in this manner. Growing up as a Christian, persecution for our faith is something that was always talked (or gossiped) about. But I have never felt like I have had a clear understanding on the matter and thus I have always had a certain taboo fear of the idea. I am familiar with the idea that 'I better be prepared to die for my faith' but I have never received proper education on what that entails or training on how to deal with such dark and testing scenarios. From when I was a younger child I would have thoughts like, "okay, if they were to kill me thats one thing, but what if they're going to kill or torture my mother or sister or wife or kids???" Coelho portrays Elijah dealing with this nightmare of persecution in a very human way. Elijah's faith and trust in God waivers and fluctuates and gets really tested. I think it's healthy to see that it's ok for you to struggle with your faith and trust in God, for you to be open and honest with Him about your doubts and your weaknesses, so that you can grow and be sincere with Him wherever your at.
"Our souls are prisoners of the terror of death, and the day is beautiful," said the Levite. "Many times before, when I felt at peace with God and the world, the temperature was horrible, the desert wind filled my eyes with sand and did not permit me to see a hand's span before me. Not always does His plan agree with what we are or what we feel, but be assured that He has a reason for all of this."
The next thing that intrigued me, as someone whose passion is marriage and family, was how Coelho broke it down that the society in the nation of Israel was backwards all because the kings of Israel had developed a habit of marrying women from other nations who believed in pagan gods, despite God's specific instructions not to. The society was backwards in the sense that people who were really spiritual and connected to God were seen as crazy, and people who were crazy and worshiped gods that didn't exist were seen as spiritual. Instead of the nation doing it's best to obey God, they did what they felt was best for business. And since historically there was a plague of war, Israel thought that by doing what was best for business, they were doing what was best for peace. They thought that by making princesses from surrounding pagan countries their queens, they were establishing good relations which was good for trade and commerce between the nations. And they were right in a sense, it was good for business for peace at the moment, but it was completely destructive to their connection to God.
I think this is an amazing depiction because I believe I also live in a backwards society, where the focus is trying to find peace and prosperity using man's wisdom, at the consequence of our connection to God.
"When he learned of his king's marriage to Jezebel, princess of Tyre, he had thought it of little significance. Other kings of Israel had done the same, and the result had been a lasting peace in the region and an ever more important trade with Lebanon. Elijah scarcely cared if the people of the neighborhing country believed in gods that did not exist or dedicated themselves to strange religious practices such as worshiping animals and mountains; they were honest in their negotiations, and that was what mattered most."
This brings me to the last concept from the novel that I'm going to share with you, an issue that I so strongly relate to: the struggle of a young man deciding what to do with his life. Elijah was called to be a profit of the Lord from childhood, but this was something even his parents did not want for him, because it went against the grain of their society. Which poses such an interesting concept: people who really love and care about you might not be in support of God's will for your life. Elijah was also scared of going against the grain of his society and ended up making a comfortable life for himself by becoming a carpenter. Though this was an honorable way for him to make a living by working hard with his hands, it also came with the consequence of losing the special connection he had with his angels and his Heavenly Father. And with Elijah's business depending on trade and commerce, he also was not sensitive to Israel's interrelations with pagan countries and with their women being made Israel's queens.
I am still dealing with the issue of deciding what to pursue for my life and how. And I have always been aware of a contrast between what's safest, in terms of profit and security, against what's best for my connection with God. In the depth of my heart I am not okay sacrificing spiritual intimacy for profit and security. And I have also always considered the subject of who you marry of grave importance.
"Since childhood, he had heard voices and spoken with angels. This was when he had been impelled by his father and mother to seek out a priest of Israel who, after asking many questions, identified Elijah as a nabi, a prophet, a "man of the spirit," one who "exalts himself with the word of God."
After speaking with him for many hours, the priest told his father and mother that whatever the boy might utter should be regarded as earnest.
When they left that place, his father and mother demanded that Elijah never tell anyone what he saw and heard; to be a prophet meant having ties to the government, and that was always dangerous."
These three concepts came up at the beginning of the book and allowed me to identify with the story in a refreshing and exciting way. Facing persecution as a young man, living in a backwards society because of ill-marriage, and the struggle of deciding what to do with your life.
If your interested or intrigued, or if you can identify as well, give The Fifth Mountain a read, it's a great book. There's soooooo much more to share from the book that I'm intrigued by and that I identify with, like the concept of being afraid of love, but I can't spoon feed you everything.
"I know the word that you have written," said Elijah, storing the tablet in a fold of his cape. "I have struggled day and night against it, for, although I do not know what it awakens in a woman's heart, I know what it can do to a man. I have the courage to face the king of Israel, the princess of Sidon, the Council of Akbar, but that one word - love - inspires deep terror in me. Before you drew it on the tablet, your eyes had already seen it written in my heart."
Thanks for reading!
I am currently eating:
How to Talk So Your Mate Will Listen and Listen So Your Mate Will Talk
- Nancy L. Van Pelt
&
The Road Less Traveled
- M. Scott Peck
check my twitter for #NVP & #RLT exerts if your interested.
Peace & Happiness
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