Mt Taranaki Was Waiting for Me

Mt Taranaki Was Waiting for Me I had never seen Mt Taranaki before. I was travelling to New Plymouth to conduct a church service, expecting nothing more than another speaking engagement. Instead, I found myself standing before one of New Zealand's most magnificent mountains... and experiencing something I simply couldn't explain. As I looked towards Mt Taranaki, I was overwhelmed by an intense feeling of anger. It wasn't my anger, yet it was so real that it stopped me in my tracks. Later that evening, I learned about the mountain's history, the conflict, and the loss of life that had unfolded around it. Suddenly, my experience took on an entirely different meaning. But Mt Taranaki wasn't finished with me. As we drove away, the mountain had one final conversation with me... a conversation that has stayed with me for more than thirty years. Looking back now, I realise this wasn't simply my first visit to Mt Taranaki. It was the beginning of a relationship with a mountain that would become one of my greatest teachers. And if you think this is where the story ends... it's only the beginning. Mt Taranaki and I still have many more stories to share.