"Wilderness" Experiences

For this weeks assignment I decided to focus on two examples from books that I have read in the past few years. One of them, called “The Richest Caveman,” tells the story of Doug Batchelor who lived in a cave and found Jesus. The second, called “Into the Wild,” describes the story of Christopher McCandless who trekked into the wilderness to find himself. I feel that both stories give incredible insight into what is truly important in life. In addition, I believe that both stories have remarkable similarities to some of the conclusions made in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Doug Batchelor and Christopher McCandless led similar lives. Both were born to affluent parents. Both attended some of the best schools. And both had a “wilderness” experience. To many people on the outside it probably seemed that they “had it all”. However, in the end one of the only differences that separated them was how they responded to their encounter with the elements.

Batchelor started out on his wilderness experience after a history of drugs and school suspensions. Because of his bleak circumstances he decided to go up into the mountains of California and get away from it all. However, his life took a dramatic turn when he found a small Bible while living in a cave. Over the course of many months and numerous hours of reading Batchelor began to feel a need for God in his life. Finally after much study and prayer he ended up being led by God to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Because of his “wilderness” experience Batchelor became a powerful preacher and speaker of Bible truths.

In contrast, Christopher McCandless started his “wilderness” journey not because of dire circumstances but instead due to a desire to find meaning in life. After graduating from college McCandless felt a desire to travel and see the country around him. He ended up traveling across the US spending the majority of his time on the west coast. During his travels he read many books about people who also struggled to find meaning in their lives. Because of these books and other experiences he decided to go to Alaska in order to have a true “wilderness” experience. Upon reaching his destination he decided to live off the land which he successfully did until a pot of seeds that he gathered ended up killing him. He went to find meaning for his life, yet unlike Batchelor he was never able to share with others what he found.

It is interesting to note the similarities of the lives of Batchelor and McCandless to the book of Ecclesiastes. In their teenage years both seemed to have everything. They had experienced the pleasures of the world: wealth, possessions, and knowledge. However, they were unhappy. I believe that they would have agreed with the writer of Ecclesiastes who after delving into the pleasures of the world exclaimed, “All is vanity”. They like the writer had to go on a journey to find meaning for their lives. However, only one of them found the answer he was looking for. Batchelor went looking for meaning and found God. The writer of Ecclesiastes also found that life was vanity and that it only contained meaning when God was the center of it. In contrast, McCandless also went to find meaning but he didn’t find God. Instead, he died in the wilderness. The examples of both Batchelor and McCandless is a striking comparison to Ecclesiastes because the writer at the end of the book concludes that life is only worth leaving if you “fear God and keep His commandments”.

Though the outcomes of the “wilderness” experiences of Batchelor and McCandless differ I believe that important lessons can be taken from both. Batchelor’s experience emphasizes the point that live is only worth living with God at the center of it. Not only this but also his encounter shows that people who seem to have everything in reality are missing much. Without God they are as Ecclesiastes puts it, “grasping for the wind”. This is an interesting dichotomy to me because as I have gone through life I have seen people with much and very little. Yet it strikes me that the people with little are generally more satisfied than those who appear to have everything. Although this is generalization I believe the reason for this phenomenon is that people with less seem to value the more important things in life such as God, family, and friends. Thus, I feel that the example of Batchelor should be emulated because his life is a testimony to what occurs when a person finds true meaning. In contrast, the life of McCandless didn’t appear to amount to much. He was just a young man who had contributed little to the world when he died. However, I feel that his example gives a clear picture of what can happen when we go to find meaning yet fail to realize were it truly comes from.

The examples of Batchelor, McCandless, and Ecclesiastes have helped refresh in my mind not only where true meaning comes from but also how to find it. Many times in the stresses of life I forget that much of what the world views as important is truly meaningless. However, I feel comforted to know that one mantra holds true: “Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all”.