Global Next in Edinburgh: Jumping Shadows in a Historic City

By Philip C. Johnson – September 26, 2025

In a world that often feels broken, a group of young leaders gathered in Edinburgh to learn what it means to be brave. Over the past week, I led the inaugural Global Next program in Edinburgh, Scotland—a course titled “Jump Your Shadow: Doing Brave Things in a Broken World.” A signature program from the Global Next Leadership Institute, it drew students and adult chaperones from Lexington Christian Academy in Kentucky to the charming, historic embrace of Edinburgh and the rugged Scottish Highlands. This was our first time offering this transformative program in this beautiful city, where ancient cobblestones and castle spires set the stage for meaningful conversations about courage and purpose.

Edinburgh’s historic pulse—felt along the Royal Mile’s bustling street and in the echoes of royal intrigue—ignited our week. We explored churches and graveyards, castles and palaces, where history whispered tales of resilience, fueling discussions on stepping beyond fear. The Highlands, with their rolling emerald hills and dramatic skies, added a wild backdrop to our mission.

But it wasn’t just the Highland’s grandeur that tested us.  Another memorable challenge was climbing Arthur’s Seat, the volcanic hill overlooking Holyrood Park. Most of us reached the summit, breathless but triumphant, only to take an “unauthorized” path down. Let’s just say our wobbly descent proved we have little in common with sure-footed mountain goats.  Laughter bonded us as we brushed off the dirt, a reminder that bravery often means embracing the stumble.

In the Highlands, we cruised Loch Ness, scanning for the fabled monster. Did you know this 788-foot-deep loch could hold all 8.3 billion people on Earth? I’m not suggesting we move in—just noting its monster-worthy vastness. In March 2025, a striking new photo of Nessie surfaced, and June’s eDNA sampling hinted at giant eels or something stranger, keeping the legend alive. As our boat swayed, we pondered if Nessie, too, was out there leaping her shadows.

The heart of the program was a week with bright students, unpacking what it means to “jump your shadow”—to break free from comfort zones and reject the victim mentality that can stifle young lives. I shared stories of “shadow jumpers,” ordinary souls whose tales are too vast not to tell: Corrie ten Boom, who hid Jews from Nazis in World War II, her faith a defiant light in Holland’s darkest hour; John Knox, the thunderous Edinburgh preacher who ignited Scotland’s Protestant Reformation, toppling Catholic strongholds with fiery sermons; and David Livingstone, a Scottish boy who slaved 14 hours daily in a cotton mill from age 10 to feed his family, before forging into Africa’s wilds—preaching the Gospel, shattering slave trade chains, and looking for the Nile’s hidden source. We challenged them to seize opportunities, act boldly, and trust in a God’s sovereignty and grace in their lives. And if they should fall before they land, that’s okay, because God promises us, “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24 (ESV) 

Edinburgh’s ancient streets taught us shadows aren’t walls but doorways. This first-ever Global Next program in Scotland didn’t just launch a course—it launched a movement of young leaders ready to mend a broken world, one brave step—or maybe a few heroic jumps—at a time.

Find out more about Global Next at: www.GlobalNext.org