The river cascades tumultuously from the higher slopes. Its natural bed is a deep, narrow and tortuous slot carved out in the mountains. The turbulent water uses its rocky bed more as a springboard to jump high in the air rather than to discipline its adventurous downhill journey. Water drops spread above and on both sides of river bed, in a fury of twinkling lights.
We are somewhere in an untamed landscape of the Swiss Alps in the heat of mid-summer period. I am trekking the turbulent mountain river upstream, in a search for an enigmatic water source. Known locally as “the Fountain of Moses” (Fontaine à Moïse), a body of spring water emerges from a vertical mineral wall high up in the mountains. I chose to follow the water stream until its source point.
In the Old Testament, God told Moses: “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea” (Exodus 14:16). Later, he instructed Moses: “Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink” (Exodus 17:6). Moses and the people he was leading were learning to trust God to provide for their needs through a variety of means including miracles.
In my present-day situation, I feel less thirsty than in need of energy to ascend the steep pathway. Approaching the roaring river, I welcome nonetheless the refreshing mist from the water spray. Here and there, man-made constructions call the rough landscape for stronger discipline, to no avail. In this part of our world, wilderness commands and mankind adapts.
Therefore, mankind ambitions simply to access to this rugged wilderness. The walking trail stands as a subtle testament to human ingenuity. The trail is a man-made jewel displaying a natural gem.
The physically demanding itinerary rewards me with awesome visual sceneries and a rock-solid peace of mind. As I stand above the main cascades, I stop for a long while to rest and to meditate.
For me, this very location is like an altar, a natural sanctuary. The thought of Moses striking the rock here lingers in my mind. Is this where Moses hit the rock here upon God’s command? No, the true Fontaine à Moïse must lie further up, where the mountain, like Moses himself, guards a secret waiting to be revealed.
I resume trekking on a narrow pathway anchored in a high rocky wall. I feel like floating in the air. My thoughts dissolve into an evanescent state of mind: “Continue uphill, continue! Don’t let this enchanting place capture you for ever!”
Over there, a rustic bench to rest my legs and to regain control over my emotions. Though the Moses Fountain may still lie further ahead, there is a sense of quiet fulfillment already settling in. The blessing is not just in reaching the water source but in the powerful, transformative moments along the way. The journey itself, with all its beauty and challenges, becomes the miracle.
Much further, much higher, I reach remnants of winter snow. I sense that the Moses Fountain is not far. Against all odds, it takes me quite some additional time and efforts to reach finally a high, towering rock wall. Crystalline water quietly seeps from the stone, as if Moses himself had indeed struck this very rock.
Believe it or not, but I felt so moved that I forgot tasting the water of the Moses Fountain before returning to my base camp. Never mind, its water will likely be still available in my next visit.
Hydrologists may object to my ethereal account with the thesis that Moses Fountain constitutes typically a water resurgence of a water spring located higher up in the mountain. It might be true from a scientific standpoint. However, higher up is the sky, where God sits, observes and leads.
Cheers,
