Go, Tell It on the Mountain
Last Thursday night Ray and I, along with our daughter Bethany and her family, drove to the top of Lookout Mountain to enjoy Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights — we and thousands of other people!
Our first stop was Lover’s Leap, decorated for Christmas with this gigantic Star of Bethlehem.
From this vantage point, tourists visiting on a clear day in daytime hours can see seven states: Tennessee a mere half-mile away; Mt. Pinnacle 120 miles away on the Kentucky-Virginia border; the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina; plus South Carolina, Alabama, and, of course, Georgia, which is where Rock City is located (tourists cross the Georgia-Tennessee line on their drive up Lookout Mountain). On that dark December night, we enjoyed seeing the city lights of nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Just inside Rock City’s original 1932 gatehouse was the North Pole Chapel, where every ten minutes a light and sound show tells the story of . . .
Joseph
Mary
Jesus the Savior of the World
Shepherds Keeping Watch Over Their Flocks by Night
The Angel of the Lord Who Brought The Shepherds Good News of Great Joy
The Star of Bethlehem
Magi from the East Who Brought Gifts to Jesus
At the end of the light and sound show, Bill Chapin, who is the current owner of Rock City, gave a pre-recorded greeting which honored the Baby born in Bethlehem. Mr. Chapin is the great-nephew of Garnet and Frieda Carter, who founded Rock City as a tourist attraction in 1932. I am thankful that 85 years later their great-nephew Bill is using Rock City to “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” — Lookout Mountain, that is.
And He said to them,
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Mark 16:15
Many years ago when my husband and I lived in south Georgia we’d drive by Rock City on our way north to WI to visit family. Always wanted to stop on the return trip and see what all was at Rock City as it sounded intriguing, but the choice between an extra day with family or stopping there (and a dozen other places) always resulted in our driving by. I don’t regret choosing family, but there are places I sometimes wish we had stopped. How nice to know that Rock City is a place that is choosing to honor God. Maybe one day we will be back that way (we are now in the Pacific NW) and I’ll finally get to see it along with the other dozen places!
We’d choose family, too, Rhoda! Our being there with family made it extra-special!