Hinds Feet on High Places Summary and Thoughts - Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Summary

In Chapter 14 of Hinds’ Feet on High Places, Much-Afraid and her companions finished their journey through the valley and were led by the Great Shepherd to the foot of the mountains that rose above them like a wall. The Shepherd led Much-Afraid to some chairs suspended by a cable that would carry them to the top of the precipice. Much-Afraid and the Shepherd sat in one seat together and Sorrow and Suffering took the seat behind them. The chairs swiftly brought them up higher and higher until they reached the borderland of the Kingdom of Love. It was the most beautiful place Much-Afraid had ever seen.

The Shepherd led them to the bottom of a great rushing waterfall that sprang from the High Places. The Shepherd explains to Much-Afraid that the waterfall is called the Falls of Love and pointed out how the water continues down the mountain. The Shepherd explained to Much-Afraid that although it looks like a frightful leap, the water finds no terror but only joy because self-giving is the most natural thing for it to do.

The Shepherd then told Much-Afraid and her companions that they would rest here for a few days to prepare for the last part of the journey. The Shepherd stayed with Much-Afraid that whole time and taught her about the Kingdom of Love. Much-Afraid realized that she would have been happy to stay there forever, and wouldn’t worry about reaching the Kingdom of Love, if it wasn’t for her crippled feet and mouth and the fear that was still in her heart. The Shepherd used the mist that sometimes covered the view of the High Places to remind Much-Afraid that there will be times when she thinks the path is leading to a place he could never mean her to go, but she must remember the sight of the High Places and his promise to bring her there if she follows this path. Much-Afraid picked up a few of the flowers at her feet to remind herself that though the High Places may become invisible again, she knows that they are there.

On the last day of their rest, the Shepherd carried Much-Afraid up to the summit of one of the High Places in the Kingdom of Love. He transfigured before her eyes from the Great Shepherd into the King of Love, King of the Kingdom of Love. He brought her up to the utmost pinnacle where there was an altar of pure gold. The King instructed her to kneel and tool a coal from the flaming altar with a pair of golden tongs and touched her with it, saying, “Lo! this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged” (Isaiah 6:7). As the flame went through her she lost consiousness and the King carried her back to the borderland of the Kingdom of Love. When she awoke, the Shepherd led her into a forest and told her that tomorrow she and her companions will start on the last part of their journey to the Kingdom of Love. Before they left on their journey, Sorrow and Suffering bowed before the Great Shepherd and asked what the place was called that they had been resting for the past several days. The Shepherd answered, “This is the place to which I bring my beloved, that they may be anointed in readiness for their burial” (pg. 93).

“She gazed and gazed, then said, ‘It looks as though they think it is the lovliest movement in all the world, as though to cast oneself down is to abandone oneself to ecstasy and joy indescribable.’”

(Pg. 89)

Chapter 14 Thoughts

1)    The Chair Lift

I love this image of Much-Afraid and the Great Shepherd relaxing on a chair lift as they climb past and above all the places that Much-Afraid had climbed and that she had to surrender to go lower than she ever had into the Valley of Loss. It was so hard for her to go down into the valley and imagine how far she would have to climb again to get back up, but she had no idea what the Shepherd had planned. Her willingness to surrender allowed him to provide for her in this miraculous way.

2)    The Falls of Love

This is such a beautiful conversation between Much-Afraid and the Great Shepherd as they observe the water droplets joyously leaping down from the cliff of the High Places and singing in chorus together as they join into a mighty torrent that dances around the rocks and continues to the lowest place. Much-Afraid at first sees it as a terrifying thing to cast oneself down from such a height to be broken apart on the rocks, but when the Shepherd encouraged her to follow one part of the water she saw it in a completely different way...

“She gazed and gazed, then said, ‘It looks as though they think it is the lovliest movement in all the world, as though to cast oneself down is to abandone oneself to ecstasy and joy indescribable.’” (Pg. 89).

This is so important for her to see the Falls of Love in this way, because it is the call of self-giving that she will be living out in the Kingdom of Love.

3)    Preparing for Burial

This chapter ends with a line from the Shepherd that can make us feel as if we unknowingly walked into a horror movie. Much-Afraid is off in her own world because she is so excited that the Shepherd said this will be the last part of their journey. Meanwhile, Sorrow and Suffering are off to the side talking to the Shepherd and learn that these past few days were to prepare Much-Afraid for her burial. This explains why there has been several times throughout the journey when the Shepherd had a look on his face that Much-Afraid could not understand; he knew the cross Much-Afraid must bear to make it to the Kingdom of Love and it grieved him. Every step Much-Afraid made closer to the High places gave the Shepherd a reason to rejoice but also some pain knowing that she didn’t yet understand what would be required of her.

Honorable Mentions:

I’ve been trying to keep my thoughts section to three points, but I had to mention two more things because this chapter was so good!

• Much-Afraid felt like she wanted to stay in the Borderlands forever if it wasn’t for her crippled feet and mouth and the fear in her heart. This stood out to me because it made me wonder, how many of us would want to stop there and never continue to the High Places? This is another reminder of how Much-Afraid’s shortcomings are what lead her to the Shepherd and remind her to seek him.

• She picked up flowers from around her feet instead of memorial stones to remember what she learned in this chapter. I almost missed this, but it was a flower instead of a rock that she picked up as a reminder in this chapter! I’m not sure what the meaning is, I feel like there could be several meanings, but I wanted to point it out:)

Much-Afraid still has several lessons to learn on her journey to the High Places and I look forward to continuing this journey with you.

-Nadine

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18