A Parable of Following Christ: It's Like Feeling for Tape on the Ground?

Youth Group Evening:

Lauren & Kristin took masking tape and made a "path" or tape line through the sanctuary. Each student had to get down on his or her hands and knees, close their eyes and follow the tape path through the Sanctuary by feeling for it with their hands (we needed blind folds but couldn't find any....)! Actually I though this was the first lesson of the evening: HUMILITY (you cannot respond to God without humility!) You know as an adult it is hard to get down on your hands and knees and crawl around on the ground. But as always you learn tons and you grow by greatly when you are willing to humble yourself.

At first you have to get used to 'feeling' for the tape - it doesn't feel that much different than the carpet. Every once in a while you would loose the 'tape path' all together. You would have to back up and 'retrace' your steps, only to find that the trail had veered sharply to the left or right. (Wow, how often in life has that been true of trying to follow Jesus. You are traveling along and all of the sudden you realize that you are not as close to Him as you used to be! What do you do? Just what we did. You back up and find the last time you were close to Him and try to understand what changed. 'Do I need to ask forgiveness for something? Do I need to repent? Or have I just abused my relationship with Christ by ignoring Him or taking Him for granted? Sometimes the most offensive thing we can do to someone we love, someone we care deeply about is just to neglect them.... I wonder how we must insult God by just being 'busy' (the American disease) and really spending no 'quality time' with Him? How would you feel if someone you loved showed only mild desire to be with you?)

At one point the 'tape path' made a sharp left and then it was gone again. Upon searching it became evident that the 'trail' went up the side of the wall. Very Unexpected! (Again, doesn't it just parallel our lives with Christ? He allows something unexpected to happen... and frequently I get angry with Him when He allows that. It was just like that when Jesus walked the earth as a human. During the Triumphal Entry everyone expected Him at that time to restore the Kingdom to Israel. The heart cry of the people was to overthrow the Roman Empire and put Israel back in charge. But Jesus disappoints them all... He then proceeds to establish the Kingdom according to His Father's plan.... not the people's. He ends up dying for the WHOLE world! How Unexpected.... and offensive... that is, if you have your own personal agenda as to how you think the Kingdom should be established! He does this kind of thing in our lives when our expectations cross His will.

At one point as I was following the trail a youth group member having some fun at my expense tore up the tape path just ahead of me. The path was gone.... I was blind and could not see where to do. I though how Satan tries to do just that... remove or cover over the faint trail that we are following in an attempt to make us panic. To make us fear that Jesus has left us. But after a few seconds another youth member took my hand and pulled me gently forward, over the gap, and put my hand back on the 'tape path.' Isn't that just what Holy Spirit does? He leads us even when we feel blind, even when we are unable to move forward!

"Isn't is just like following Jesus through life?" someone said later. And it really was. Max was the first to "test" the course for us and then all the rest of us did it. I wish everyone in our parish could do it. It is quite a parable!

Questions? Comments? Email me at ChrisSarris@hotmail.com