Sun Protection Reminds Us to Be On Guard Against a Hidden Enemy

by Andrew | Teachable Moments, Ten Essentials (Blog Series)

Please enjoy this post from Andrew Underwood, from WMI as he continues to share insights in this Biblical Reflections on the Wilderness Essentials series.

SUN PROTECTION WORKS FOR OUR BEST OUTCOMES

I was working at a camp in Tennessee years ago. We had a morning at the lake planned for my group of kids and I had lifeguarding on my schedule for open swim in the afternoon. I was really looking forward to a full day out at the water. It was cool in the morning and a bit cloudy so I didn’t even think about putting on sunscreen or wearing a shirt. As the morning went along things got busy and I ran to lunch and jumped onto the stand for guarding in the afternoon. One of the longer guard stations was a paddleboard out on the lake which I laid down on with my back to the sun. It wasn’t too long into the shift when I realized that my back was in serious trouble, it was already burned heavily from a full morning out at the lake and I had a few hours to go. Needless to say, any sunscreen I tried to apply at that point was damage control at best. Without getting too graphic, I suffered major sunburn trauma on my back and struggled for weeks through pain, itching, and wound care. This, among many other reasons, is why sun protection in the outdoors is so critical. Something as simple as a day out on the lake or a hike on a glacier could turn a routine outing into a serious medical issue, not to mention a real letdown on the experience.

Here are a few thoughts to consider as you plan for the 7th Wilderness Essential; Sun Protection.

Summer is not the only season you can suffer from sun-related injury/illnesses. Factors like snow and water reflection, altitude and exposure are all highly important factors.
Sun protection includes but is not limited to; sunglasses, hats, sun shirts, sunscreen, and tarps for shading.
Unprotected sun exposure can lead to more than just burns. It can lead to dehydration, headaches, nausea, even fever. You should cover this in any Wilderness First Aid course. Additionally, do not underestimate the seriousness of eye protection, especially on snow or up at altitude in mountaineering pursuits, it is possible to burn your eyes.

THE SUN IS DISTANT YET DANGEROUS

Not only is this essential a critical part of any wilderness gear kit but could also be a valuable tool in your ministry tool belt as well. It has always been mind-blowing to me that a flaming ball of gas nearly 95 million miles away from Earth could possibly pose any risk to me at all. So, whenever I have experienced the sun’s effects on my life, it is has warranted some reflection about my place in the universe. The sun is so far away, so enticing, so warm, and “life-giving” that we often just miss its raw power and the threat that it poses to us. I think this is some of what Paul was warning us about in regards to the schemes of the enemy in Ephesians 6, where he says;

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

WE NEED TO BE ARMORED AGAINST THE ENEMY

Paul is helping us see that there is something often hidden from our attention, something hard to see, something dangerous to us behind the present evil that we experience in the world. So that when are wronged by someone, or when we see oppression and injustice, wicked behavior or even struggle with our own temptations, it is really this hidden force that is behind it all. He is directing our eyes to who the real enemy is so we can be on guard. He also gives us some guidance on how to do that, He says that we should “put on the full armor of God” so that we can stand our ground against these schemes of our enemy and to take up the “shield of truth” so that we can extinguish the “flaming arrows of the evil one”.

Take the lesson from my experience, and be on guard but this time, fully armored. We would remember to put on righteousness, truth, and readiness to stand firm that comes with salvation. So, when are loading up the raft to get on the river, thinking of whether or not staying wet all day is going to protect us from getting burned, let it be a reminder of Pauls message to the church in Ephesus, to be on our guard, to stand strong and armored for the unseen realm has the potential to burn us. It’s good to mention, that good coverage is necessary too, he says to put on the full armor of God, so don’t forget to sunscreen your ears, I always forget my ears.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Can you think of a time you should have protected yourself or others more from the sun?
2. Can you think of a few other scriptures that talk about “being on your guard”?
3. What are two other ways that you can use sun protection to talk about truths from scripture?