Hard Men for Jesus

Import Illustrations

“Evangelist Billy Graham, while speaking to a packed house at the Urbana ’84 Student Missions Convention in Illinois, addressed the importance of Christians being people of great inner strength.

‘Not long ago Newsweek magazine reported on what it called the new wave of mountain men. It’s estimated that there are some sixty thousand serious mountain climbers in the United States. But in the upper echelon of serious climbers is a small elite group known as ‘hard men.’ For them climbing mountains and scaling sheer rock faces is a way of life. In many case, climbing is a part of their whole commitment to life. And their ultimate experience is called free soloing: climbing with no equipment and no safety ropes.

John Baker is considered by many to be the best of the hard men. He has free-soloed some of the most difficult rock faces in the United States with no safety rope and no climbing equipment of any kind. His skill has not come easily. It has been acquired through commitment, dedication and training. His wife says she can’t believe his dedication. When John isn’t climbing, he’s often to be found in his California home hanging by his fingertips to strengthen his arms and hands.

Where are the hard men and women for Jesus? Where are those who will bring all their energies to bear for the sake of Christ? That’s the kind of people it’s going to take to spread the gospel around the world in these closing years of the twentieth century’” (Swindoll, Ibid, pg. 235-236).