ON PLAYING IT SAFE

Two boys were riding up a hill on a bicycle built for two. The hill was very steep and it was only after great effort that they got to the top. When they did, the boy on the front seat turned to his pal and said, “I thought for a minute there we weren’t going to make it.”

“So did I!” replied the other. “In fact, if I hadn’t kept my foot on the brake all the way up we would have rolled back down.”

The story is a parable of the life of the church. Some are like the boy at the front of the bike, they “pedal” for all they are worth to move the church ahead. They are seekers after truth who want to know more of God’s will for their lives. When they discover some new truth they want to apply it and share it with others. But there are others like the boy in back. Equally sincere and devoted, these have a negative approach. They are forever occupied with the fear of slipping backwards, always riding with the brakes on. To them, every new idea, whether it be an insight into Scripture or a plan for more effective action, is treated as a threat to their current position rather than as a boost to forward progress. New ideas cannot be evaluated objectively because the negative mind can think only of what may be lost if something new is accepted. So the brakes are applied just to be safe! -- Robert Meyers