Salmon Swimmers

July is a month you do not want to miss in South Central Alaska. Seventy degrees and sunny, you can find your way to the shores of the Copper River and see for yourself the Chinook – king salmon – as they make their way up the river to spawn. In smaller parts of the river the water glimmers red with the reflection of the salmons’ bodies. If you listen, you will hear the water breaking against the rocky bed of the river. And if you were standing at the same place as me, you would see a waterfall – flowing with energy over the rocks. A bush plane might break the trance of the river every now and then as it flies overhead – taking people to otherwise unreachable destinations. The bugs will be there as well, afraid that if it weren’t for them you may have too holy a moment. Going steadily against the tumultuous waters, the salmon works tirelessly to surmount the waterfall and continue its upward swim to its original spawning grounds. I am enthralled at the tenacity and resilience of the salmon. No obstacle keeps them from fulfilling their quest. The waterfall area must be 11 feet high, yet the salmon leap up against the current, again and again, until they finally clear the waterfall and continue on their journey. There will almost definitely be bald eagles perched in the trees above, waiting for one of the many salmon that might provide their next meal. And, if you wait till dusk, you might see a bear. Standing there, waiting, at the top of the waterfall. Patiently it waits. Until the moment is right. And then the bear returns happily, mouth full, to the shore. There are incredible obstacles for the salmon to successfully navigate the dangers of their journey, but many do reach their birthplaces where they reproduce a new generation of salmon. Their resiliency and drive to fulfill their destiny are both laudable and instructive. In fact, the parallels between the salmon’s life and the Christian life are remarkable and provide the challenging model we will explore in this book for dynamic Christian discipleship.