Stuck in the middle of nowhere in a desert, a small mountain with a white cross stood erect like a firmly planted 1,000 year old sequoia tree. Swaths of pinks baby blue, purple, yellow and green pastels hues coated the mountain. A gigantic red heart with a modified version of the Sinner’s Prayer was placed in the middle of the mountain and above it, “GOD IS LOVE” was spelled out in big block letters. Blue and white stripes poured from the top of the mountain to the floor as if it was the Sea of Galilee. The semi-steep and narrow yellow-hued steps instantly reminded me of the Yellow Brick Road. While all of this seemed like I was stuck in a dream, it was reality. Standing in front of a manmade mountain brought me to realize that I was face-to-face with Salvation Mountain.
Built in the 1980s by Leonard Knight, Salvation Mountain was created to express Knight’s devotion and love for God. While expressing his devotion to God through art was an amazing feat of its kind, building the mountain was a long, arduous task. In 1980, the first incarnation of the mountain was created, but it collapsed. Then, he built a second mountain in 1989 and wanted this monument to be safe for people to climb. While mountains were usually formed by nature, Knight mixed up a concoction of broken glass, clay and straw to mimic the feel of a mountain. Then, he coated the entire mound with latex-based lead-free paint, which gave a sufficient amount of coverage. As the only site in California that had a Christian-themed pastel-hued mountain, it was the winning combination that brought Instagrammers, fashion photographers, filmmakers and travelers like myself to be drawn to this beauty.
Given that Salvation Mountain had so much history and attention from travelers around the world, I had a different reason to go there. This past Wednesday, I went there with my friend and her boyfriend, both devout Christians. Since Easter Break was like a mini spring break, I felt that there was nothing more important than honoring God. With them in mind, I thought that it would be amazing to go on a three-hour drive to Salvation Mountain. When we go there, we were astonished by the architecture, colors and the vibe of the monument. We could smell the paint, feel the sun’s rays bake our skin and touch the rocky earth as we climbed. After we climbed the mountain, we went to the hut and small rooms that were adjacent to the monument. In the rooms, graffiti tags of a couple’s initials and the year they visited were on the walls and rows of candles were arranged in neat lines. A Bible that once belonged to the artist was opened. Photographs of the artist were placed above the Bible. From what I could sense, the presence of the artist’s devotion to Christ was alive and well although Knight passed away two years ago. We headed to the hut, where makeshift roofs made of colored twigs and straw provided shade. Vintage car parts were placed on the walls and painted with Jesus-themed phrases. My favorite part was seeing “GOD IS LOVE” painted in hues of maroon and blood red in front of a rainbow striped background. It brought me to realize that while God may not be physically present, His spirit, protection and love is everywhere.