As part of a management course today we were given an exercise to do, initially alone and then to discuss as a small group, we were told to imagine we had £2.5 Million which we could only spend on ourselves. We later had an equal sum we could only spend on others; it was all about establishing what our core values were and what was important to us.
One of the ladies in the small group with me talked about purchasing a jet ski and doing extreme sports. Apparently, she has always loved the adrenaline rush that something on the edge gives her. For many people there is an appeal about situations which are just a little dangerous, just a little unsafe and scary which they love, theme parks have people flocking to them to be scared on rollercoasters of all shapes and sizes.
When she spoke of extreme sports my mind went back to a group of young people we saw when we were on holiday in the Lake District. They were being given instruction on rock climbing, there were about 15 youngsters, and about 4 instructors who were providing them with the direction and instructions that they needed to scale a cliff face. Albeit a rather small and not very menacing cliff face, which could easily be scaled by walking behind it and around it. upwards.
All of those involved were roped together, they had helmets on, and despite the drop being relatively small they were being taught all the safety procedures and climbing techniques needed to tackle a much larger climb. The instructors at the top and bottom of the climb were giving instructions and directions throughout. Every little while we would hear encouragement shouted by their peers to a young person who was having difficulties or who found the experience scary and were lacking in confidence. It was so nice to hear all those not climbing supporting and providing words of encouragement to the person facing the challenge when they needed it.
Then we would hear clapping as one of the teenagers reached the top of the wall and everyone would applaud their effort, noticed that everyone was applauded regardless of how easily or hard they found the climb.
Watching the encouragement, support and the way that they were all roped together but facing a challenging and new experience reminded me of a passage from Ephesians 4 when Paul addresses the church ‘Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.’
We all face challenges in life, but the body of Christ is called to support, encourage, and stand alongside each and every member as they face difficulties, pain and uncertainty.
Prayer
Lord God, we pray for each other we think of those who are enjoying life, and have a fulfilling job, a stable family, and a place of security; may they encourage those whose route seems uncertain and painful. We think of those who can only focus on the next foothold, who are overwhelmed by responsibility and demands on their time; may we provide the support and encouragement that they need.
In Jesus name
Amen