The World's Steepest Street: Victory Series, Part 26
Did you know that the steepest
street in the world is found in Dunedin, New Zealand? The street is named
Baldwin St., after William Baldwin who subdivided the area. He must have been
quite a steep guy!
The incline is 161.2 meters in length, climbing a vertical height of 47.22
meters. This results in an average gradient of 1 to 3.41, with the steepest
section having a gradient of 1 to 2.86 (19 degrees or 35%).
In more understandable terms, the street rises from 30 meters above sea level to
100 meter above sea level in 70.6 meters. Quite steep don't you think? I sure
wouldn't want to drive my rental car down (or up!) that street!
But what do people do with such a steep street?
You wouldn't believe the many activities offered here. In the summer (generally
in February), during the "Baldwin Street Gutbuster" festival, athletes compete
in foot races to the top of the street and back. I think I would prefer sliding
down to running up!
In the winter (July), a huge charity event is conducted here. About 30,000
Jaffas (spherical, candy-coated chocolates), each sponsored by someone, are
rolled down the street. The grand prize winner, the one who's Jaffa arrives at
the bottom of the street first, earns a trip overseas (keep in mind that
everything is "overseas" in New Zealand)! The kids line the streets, devouring
the non-winning Jaffas, no matter what condition they find them in.
Then there are private entrepreneurs who do the unthinkable, like going down the
street in a chilly bin (a wheeled cooler). One of the first daredevils to try
this ended up dead, while the other one sustained serious head injuries. Another
three travelled up the street in a chilly bin that was being pulled by a car.
These three were charged with disorderly conduct. You have to watch out for
those chilly bins, if you know what I mean!
The latest daredevil rode down the street on one wheel of his motorbike on
January 2, 2010, the day after we left New Zealand. Surprisingly, he survived
the trip alive.
It's amazing how people have so many different desires. But are all these desires
what we really want? I'm sure that most of these chilly bin daredevils regret
having even attempted such endeavors!
Jesus asks us this very question in John 1:38: "What do you want?" NIV
What are we really looking for in life? What are our true desires? This is a
question we can't take lightly!
The only way to find this out is to set aside all of our distractions (except
the essential duties, like paying bills and drinking our eight cups of water!),
and to concentrate upon doing only what we really desire.
I know that the thought of giving up some of the things you have held on to for
years may cause panic to invade your souls, but take a second to listen to that
sense of dread. It's trying to tell you something. There is something beneath
that terror that you need to discover.
If your emotions overwhelm you, you may need to take a different approach:
resist those indulging desires for 30 minutes longer than you usually do, no
matter where they are trying to pull you to, may it be the fridge, the bar or
the bedroom. Let that desire become more acute, but don't give into it. Feel it,
but don't let it dominate you.
Now when you are at the point of breaking, ask yourself honestly what you are
desiring. You just might be quite astonished what you will find out. "What I am
desiring is not ________________ but ________________."
Few of us take the time to discover the "true desire" that lies hidden beneath
the desire. But the more familiar we become with our real desires, the less
prone we'll be to impostors!
Remember the Pharisees? They indulged daily in their desire for overabundant
religious activity, and their desires mummified their true desires to the point
that they couldn't even recognize God when He stood in front of them!
"You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your
real life is in heaven with Christ and God." (Col 3:3-4 TLB)
Forget about jogging up Baldwin Street. Should I persist with my "chilly bin"
kind of ideas? Or should I indulge in those Jaffas? Maybe one day I will win
that overseas' trip I've been dreaming about ...
Rob Chaffart