was at this meeting for the family and friends of the youth club jordan goes to. amongst all the things about God and stuff, what really struck me was the story which the guy said to tell us about faith and believing.
the story goes like this:
there was a tight rope walker and he decided to walk across the tight rope across niagara falls. on the big day, the crowd was HUGE and absolutely wild and hungry for a performance. he shouted across the crowd. "DO YOU BELIEVE I CAN WALK ACROSS THE FALLS AND BACK!!??" and they shouted "WE BELIEVE!"
so he walked. an expectant hush fell over the crowd as he walked across the rope. and he made it.
the crowd was absolutely wild. he calmed the crowds down and shouted "DO YOU BELIEVE I CAN WALK ACROSS THE FALLS WITH A WHEEL BARROW AND BACK??!!" and they shouted "WE BELIEVE!"
so he walked, pushing the wheel barrow in front of him. again, a hush fell over the crowd. and there was tension in the air. one wrong move and he could die. he walked, and he made it.
the crowd was wilder than before. no one had ever done anything like this. he calmed the crowds down again and shouted. "DO YOU BELIEVE I CAN WALK ACROSS THE FALLS AND BACK WITH A PERSON IN IT??!!" again they shouted "WE BELIEVE!!!"
then came the question "WHO IS GOING TO ET INTO THE WHEEL BARROW??!!"
and a hush fell over the crowd again. this time, everyone was trying to look as inconspicuous as possible and starting to wish they had ever came. no one wanted to risk his life for the tight rope walker even though they claim to believe in him.
everyone, except for a little boy. he piped up "i will!" and against him mother's protests, squeezed past those who are bigger and supposedly braver than him to get to the tight rope walker.
so the tight rope walker walked across the falls, pushing the wheel barrow with the little boy in it. all that can be heard is the muffled sobs of the little boy's mother as she watched her son get pushed across the falls on a tight rope. no one breathed.
and he made it. they crowd went absolutely crazy. he had walked across the falls and back with another human.
so that is the question, who claims to believe and who truly believes.
the innocence of children amazes me. it is what draws me to them. the innocence of a child is what allows them to believe truly and absolutely in something without question. the innocence is what allows them to love easily. however in this modern world and society, such innocence is already lost in little children.
i find their innocence intriguing in a sense of how can something so powerful be lost. i didnt think i lost my childhood innocence until i was 7 when i went into primary school. and somehow, in today's world, and all that media the children is exposed to, i dont think it helps to keep it. on the television u see examples of betrayal and other things which might happen to you in real life. what some adults dont comprehend is that children do not understand that what happens in the television is not real. they think that is what happens in real life. to someone out there who is real to them.
and at their most receptive, they learn about betrayal. hmmm...very nice. oh well.
what i find so fascinating. is that they are all so innocent, they will trust anyone. and that they will speak out whatever is on their mind. i was looking after the kids in the church last week. and one of them was crying and another lady was bouncing her on her knee and asked her if she would like a drink. the little girl nodded and said "and a biccy" (meaning biscuit)
just look at that! the innocence allows her to tell the person exactly what she wants. that is y u dont get depressed kids most of the time. cos they tell u exactly what is wrong. they do not try to filter it all out. sure they will be shy at 1st but eventually and in time, they will tell u what is wrong with them because they trust you.
no idea where this is all coming from but my guess is that it's from me leaving my kids nxt monday. i am really going to miss them. *sigh*
