There is an old story about an Arkansas fisherman … legendary for his success and secretive about his methods. The game warden, suspicious , insisted that he accompany him fishing, hoping to learn his secrets.
Fisherman and game warden in a boat, arrived at a prime fishing spot. The fisherman reached under his seat, pulled out a stick of dynamite, and tossed it into the water with a subsequent explosion. Fish floated to the surface and the fisherman began to gather his catch. The game warden, furious, began to protest and threaten to arrest him.The fisherman quietly retrieved another stick of dynamite, lit the fuse handed it to the game warden and said, “Are you going to talk or are you going to fish?”
As I think about the times we live in and realize the magnitude, rapidity and epoch proportions of the changes that are occurring, I feel more and more like that game warden.
I believe we are a rare and unique point in the history of the world. We are in maelstrom of change that only occurs when mankind moves from one age to another. The change is immense and unprecedented. The emergence of the new age is like hurricane Mitch in October 1998. It stalled off the coast of Honduras and pumped 100” of rain. The resulting floods and landslides were estimated to have killed 10,000 people. Change is always constantly happening but what is happening now is like Hurricane Mitch. 100” of rain is not unusual for year but when the change comes all at once the landscape is completely altered. Maps that were previously used are no longer useful. Structures that use to serve become tourist attractions.
Many other bridges were damaged, but the Choluteca bridge survived in near perfect condition. However, roads on either end of the bridge completely vanished, leaving no visible trace of their prior existence. More impressively, the Choluteca River (which is several hundred feet wide) had carved itself a new channel during the massive flooding caused by the hurricane. It no longer flowed beneath the bridge, which now spanned dry ground. The bridge quickly became known as “The Bridge to Nowhere.”
Change brings crisis. The word for crisis in Chinese means danger and opportunity. The Hebrew word for crisis is mash-ber, a word which is also used for birth stool, a seat upon which a woman in ancient times sat as she gave birth.
What we have before us is both great danger and great opportunity. The question is how will we respond?
I believe there are two basic strategies. The history of Christianity could be written in two volumes. One would feature the story of those who, answered the phone and when they got the message, hung up, got moving and headed out. The other would feature those who never hung up and just hold on.
Full disclosure.. the previous was the introduction to a sermon I preached on December 26, 2004. I stumbled on it looking through old files and was struck by its relevance to 2021. The imagery of Choluteca bridge is apt metaphor. I, like many, am feeling like “A bridge to nowhere”. Intact, but stripped of things that I have relied upon for meaning, purpose and direction.
Even more than 2004..
What we have before us is both great danger and great opportunity. The question is how will we respond?
In succeeding posts I will share my sermon thoughts about what it means to Hold On or Head Out. Sermon transcript is available upon request 🙂
Not remembering 2004 clearly, I was not sure what precipitated my sermon topic, perhaps it related to church and personal circumstances. However, researching 2004 I was surprised at the breath and depth of events that year. Here are a few:
- The CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
- Simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid kill 190 people. Five suspects blow themselves up.
- A World Aid Report tells of 5 million new cases in 2004 and 3 million people died
- Japan is hit with multiple earthquakes and multiple typhoons causing major loss of life and major damage to the economy
- Siege at a school in Beslan, Northern Ossetia. At least 335 people (among which at least 32 of the approximately 40 hostage-takers) have been killed and at least 700 people have been injured.
- After striking Grenada, Jamaica and Cuba Hurricane Ivan strikes mainland US with winds in excess of 130MPH causing massive damage and loss of life.
- Hurricane Jeanne killed over 3,000, most in Haiti.
- First Same Sex Marriage Performed in Massachusetts
- The strongest earthquake in 40 years originates from the Indian Ocean close to Indonesia, measuring 9.3 on the Richter Scale. Creating tsunami waves that sweep across much of the coastlines of Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. At least 290,000 people are confirmed to have died from South Asia to as far as South Africa.
- Janet Jackson’s breast is briefly exposed by Justin Timberlake during the Super Bowl halftime show
- Facebook is launched as a social networking site only open to students from Harvard in February by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. It is expanded first to other colleges in the Boston area and other Ivy League Colleges
- Fox Hunting is outlawed in the UK
Still on the Journey