Free Falling—A Way Other Than Our Own
By Nita Gilger
An old WWII Dakota airplane picked us up in Johannesburg, South Africa. Away we flew to one of the famed gold mines for a tour. On the visit, we were given the option of going down into the earth 6,000 feet to see the gold mine operations. Of course, being eighteen and bullet proof, I went. There was an elevator that took us to our destination. It was so far down into the earth that the mine shaft elevator actually did a free fall for a portion of the trip down. Now as a person who does not like roller coasters or even the water log ride at Six Flags, this was a big deal for me. Once down in the mine, we were given a fascinating and educational experience. Most of the mining areas we saw were big, open areas where huge quantities of rock were blasted and removed to the surface to retrieve the gold. Deeper in the mine was a small, narrow tunnel where gold could be seen in large streaks in the rock. The guide said, if a few of you want to belly crawl into the tunnel, you must wear a head lamp and not be claustrophobic. We already had on mining jumpsuits to protect our clothing. My curiosity propelled me further toward the experience and into the tunnel I went. I don't remember being afraid--just hot and utterly and totally dependent on the guide. I would have never been able to navigate this passage by myself. It was a way other than my own.
So often, I am aware that I need a way other than my own. Truly, I don't have to be in the depths of unfamiliar ground or in exile like the Israelite's during Babylonian times to know I need help finding my way.
Isaiah 55:8-9 points us beyond ourselves.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
There is hope in this day and age of crisis and devastation that we will journey together and depend on a way other than our own. Just as I would have been desperately lost and terrified to try to manage the gold mine on my own, so it is that we need guidance and Divine ways to navigate the unknown and difficult in our lives. It has never been clearer that all of civilization is interconnected and interdependent and we MUST care for one another and the earth itself. To find our way out of this tunnel, we need a way other than our own to stop this free fall. We need a light that shines in the darkness and we need each other. We need to turn toward a God of possibilities and creativity to find a way forward. So be it. Amen
So often, I am aware that I need a way other than my own. Truly, I don't have to be in the depths of unfamiliar ground or in exile like the Israelite's during Babylonian times to know I need help finding my way.
Isaiah 55:8-9 points us beyond ourselves.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
There is hope in this day and age of crisis and devastation that we will journey together and depend on a way other than our own. Just as I would have been desperately lost and terrified to try to manage the gold mine on my own, so it is that we need guidance and Divine ways to navigate the unknown and difficult in our lives. It has never been clearer that all of civilization is interconnected and interdependent and we MUST care for one another and the earth itself. To find our way out of this tunnel, we need a way other than our own to stop this free fall. We need a light that shines in the darkness and we need each other. We need to turn toward a God of possibilities and creativity to find a way forward. So be it. Amen