"My message for the whole world is 'God is Love.
He loves everybody. So why don't we keep it simple, and love.'"The story of Leonard Knight has been told thousands of times. Millions, even. In a simple youtube search, one is flooded with videos from visitors of Salvation Mountain. Some of them more professional than others, but all with the same heart. I could watch them all and never tire of hearing what this man has to say. And the more videos I watch, the more I realize just how much Leonard has impacted this world. And I know first hand. Leonard Knight is an inspiration.
A few days ago a friend directed me to a KPBS story regarding Leonard Knight & the future of Salvation Mountain. It broke my heart. The thought of millions more people missing out on the experience that is visiting Salvation Mountain and hearing Leonard's story first hand is saddening.
When you arrive at Salvation Mountain Leonard would seemingly pop out of nowhere, welcome you with open arms, a giddy smile & a story on deck. Leonard would tell this story multiple times a day- never tiring of it. He would tell you how glad he was that you were there, & say "I'd like to show you some things..." He would show you his truck tire trees, his hand painted bluebirds, the Yellow Brick Road, and the museum of Salvation Mountain. He would tell you how he came to Niland, CA in 1984 and had a hot air balloon with the words "God is Love" written on it. And how he has been living in his Dodge pickup since then, next door to Slab City, building the Mountain out of Adobe & thousands of gallons of donated paint. He would then tell you his simple message of Love.
I left the mountain feeling Wrecked. Inspired. Small. Encouraged.
This man, living in the desert for almost 30 year- Every day wakes up, and lives out the love that so many of us ignore. His faith is unwavering. His dedication is unmatched. His heart is pure. His message is SIMPLE.
LOVE.
Though my strong distaste for anything Eddie Veder has kept me from actually watching the movie, I have watched Leonard's scene from "Into the Wild" numerous times. Today I watched again:
How does one get to the point where they can believe so wholly in something that their expression becomes that of Leonard's in this scene. It's mind blowing, beautiful & inspiring.
Today, Leonard's story is stirring in my soul. If one man can impact so many people, how can those people come together and continue on what Leonard so humbly started?
This is where I am. Thinking....Thinking....Thinking. What will it take? What can be done?
I come to a slight realization that it might not have anything to do with saving the mountain itself, though I will admit that is a hope of mine. But if all the people who have heard Leonard's story & have been impacted by it in any way, carry on and just LOVE... I think we can save the purpose of Salvation Mountain, and that is how we can Keep it Simple.
for leonard.
A few days ago a friend directed me to a KPBS story regarding Leonard Knight & the future of Salvation Mountain. It broke my heart. The thought of millions more people missing out on the experience that is visiting Salvation Mountain and hearing Leonard's story first hand is saddening.
When you arrive at Salvation Mountain Leonard would seemingly pop out of nowhere, welcome you with open arms, a giddy smile & a story on deck. Leonard would tell this story multiple times a day- never tiring of it. He would tell you how glad he was that you were there, & say "I'd like to show you some things..." He would show you his truck tire trees, his hand painted bluebirds, the Yellow Brick Road, and the museum of Salvation Mountain. He would tell you how he came to Niland, CA in 1984 and had a hot air balloon with the words "God is Love" written on it. And how he has been living in his Dodge pickup since then, next door to Slab City, building the Mountain out of Adobe & thousands of gallons of donated paint. He would then tell you his simple message of Love.
I left the mountain feeling Wrecked. Inspired. Small. Encouraged.
This man, living in the desert for almost 30 year- Every day wakes up, and lives out the love that so many of us ignore. His faith is unwavering. His dedication is unmatched. His heart is pure. His message is SIMPLE.
LOVE.
Though my strong distaste for anything Eddie Veder has kept me from actually watching the movie, I have watched Leonard's scene from "Into the Wild" numerous times. Today I watched again:
(please note: this scene is not scripted. This IS Leonard Knight)
Leonard's face when responding to the question "You really believe in love then?" is quite possibly the most honest and sincere in the whole world. Today that made me sob.How does one get to the point where they can believe so wholly in something that their expression becomes that of Leonard's in this scene. It's mind blowing, beautiful & inspiring.
Today, Leonard's story is stirring in my soul. If one man can impact so many people, how can those people come together and continue on what Leonard so humbly started?
This is where I am. Thinking....Thinking....Thinking. What will it take? What can be done?
I come to a slight realization that it might not have anything to do with saving the mountain itself, though I will admit that is a hope of mine. But if all the people who have heard Leonard's story & have been impacted by it in any way, carry on and just LOVE... I think we can save the purpose of Salvation Mountain, and that is how we can Keep it Simple.
for leonard.
