Just jump!

I climbed up the ladder to reach the catwalk, manuevered through the railing, reached out to grab the rafter and jumped. There was no turning back, there was no bungee cord, there was just a swimming pool below, about 40' below. I was in college and worked at the university pool. It had a diving well with 4 boards and a lap pool. In this domed building was a catwalk that housed the lighting for the building. It was not unusual for some of the lifeguards (members of the swimming and diving team and others, like me) to make their way up to the rafters of the building to dive between the diving boards and into the pool. (If you've ever watched olympic diving on TV, the catwalk was about 8 feet higher than the tallest platform)

And I joined them. It's total commitment, jumping like that.

Tiger Woods, the golfing phenomenon, is taking a break from the tour for two reasons. First his father is ill and he is spending time with him. Second, his caddy, Steve Williams, is getting married. So Tiger and Steve along with the rest of the wedding party are in New Zealand. But while there, they both completed the world's ultimate bungee jump. It's the bungee for adventurers, from a cable car 440 feet above a narrow canyon with only a shallow river at the bottom. It's a commitment to jump like that.

It's the kind of commitment Christ calls us to.

"...we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers." (1 Timothy 4:10, The Message)

My first sermon in my first church was entitled, "Not Just the Toe." Now it wasn't the greatest sermon and it was long, almost 45 minutes. (Hey, I was new to this and I had a lot to say. I just shouldn't have tried to say it all in one sermon! ; ) I love to swim and have been around pools my whole life as a lifeguard, pool manager, etc. And I love to see how people test the water, some with the toe, others with their whole bodies. Now some of those who test with their toe never get in, judging by the feeling of the big toe. The thing is, it's not a good thermometer. The best way to swim is to jump in and "get used to the water." The gist of that message was what I had learned about the Christian faith, anything less that complete immersion was no faith at all, testing it with just the toe wouldn't be experiencing it at all.

It takes all of us, our whole lives, not just a toe, feet dangled over the edge, wading up to the knees. Paul would accept that of Timothy or anyone else. He called for complete immersion in the faith. So did Jesus who called us to "take up our cross." That's full bore, no holds barred commitment, nothing held back, no looking back.

Jumping!

The word to Timothy was to read the scripture, study, teach, pray, live out the faith. "Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them...Don't be diverted. Just keep at it." (1 Timothy 4:15a, 16b, The Message)

It's Paul's, and Christ's, message to us as well.

Wading in the Christian faith is no faith at all.

And as Delmar said in O Brother, Where Art Thou, "Come on in boys, the water's fine."

Peace ><>
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