Closing speech from Edward: Six Important Messages

I want to start by reading a story that was in the news last month.

“On May 15, New Zealand climber Mark Inglis became the first double amputee to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest. But praise for his achievement cooled after revelations that on his ascent, Inglis and his team passed a dying climber and left him to die alone. They came across stricken British climber David Sharp 300 metres from the summit. Mr Sharp had been on his way down the mountain alone when he ran out of oxygen. Inglis' team gave Mr Sharp oxygen and radioed his position to base camp, but then pushed on for the peak. In his defence, Mr Inglis says as many as 40 other climbers passed Mr Sharp, and that his team - the first - was the only to stop and help.
Mr Sharp later died. His body remains on the mountain.”

Since then, a passionate debate has ensued about the ethics of the Everest ascent. Many climbers defended themselves. One climber wrote on a website: "Stop making judgments about events in an environment in which you have no experience. Everyone heading to Everest is aware of the risks, and yes, many should not attempt this feat. Those that head up the mountain are responsible for their decision to climb." Ingles himself that his conscience was clean and he could sleep soundly at night because he knew that there was nothing he could do to save the dying Sharp.

Needless to say, this story relates to so many of the themes that we have studied this year. No doubt, I’m sure some Essential Questions come to mind when hearing this story, like what are our responsibilities to others? and who do we care for? I’m not sure how those climbers feel about their decision to bypass David Sharp both on the way up and on the way down, but to me, that decision is that height of narcissism, the inability to care about anyone aside from oneself. Expedition companies charge up to $65,000 for the three weeks it takes to escort climbers to Everest and for many, that sort of time and expense means keeping ones eye on the prize. If each individual climber that saw David Sharp on the mountain stopped and held his/her own private meeting for worship, would he/she have chosen to continue walking? What would you have done? Another Everest story made the news only this week. American team abandoned their three-week quest just a few hundred meters from the top to aid and ultimately rescue Australian climber Lincoln Hall, who had been left behind to die by his own team.

In your life, you’ll be constantly faced with choices, big and small. Who we are is defined is by the choices we make. To say it another way, we are, more so than the color of our skin, more so than the nation we live in, the sum total of our choices. I believe that years from now those climbers who stopped for Lincoln Hall will be proud to tell their children of their decision to stop to save someone’s life instead of reaching the summit. Will those who passed David Sharp say the same? Will you be proud to tell your children of the choices you made? The question I leave you with from Nancy Starmer’s speech in assembly: What type of person do you want to be? Did you make time to listen into the Silence, deep within your heart and let it compel you to truth and love?

According to Quaker writer John Calvi, there are only six important messages a person can give to someone else. They are:
1. I love you.
2. Thank you.
3. I’m sorry.
4. I need help.
5. That’s not good enough.
6. No.

Thinking over the course of this year, I realize that I have often said the last two, that’s not good enough and no. I want to end the year by saying the first two, I love you and thank you.