God is not a Carny on a Smoke Break.

Here’s the thing about roller coasters: how well you do on them only affects you.  The same coaster that makes some people scream with excitement makes others shriek with horror.

One person laughs.

Another pukes. (fair enough, in that case how well you do also affects the people directly behind you…)

There’s that neat story in Mark 4:35-41 that others have pointed to where we see this principle at work.  There’s a storm that has professional fishermen scared for their life (read: really bad storm), and Jesus is ASLEEP in the stern of the boat.  The thing is literally falling apart, and Jesus is sleeping.

His perspective on the roller coaster was right.  He knew who made the thing, and was supremely confident in it’s construction.

As we have buckled ourselves into this current coaster (leaving staff, click-click-clicking up the hill toward unemployment), I’m so confident that God is the one who pulled down the safety bar and gave the thumbs up for the cart to begin up the hill.  But as analogies go, this one is falling apart quickly.  God is not a carny, going on a smoke break while I fly upside down across the theme park.  He made the coaster, holds the coaster up, controls the weather, etc, etc.

But I think he enjoys us experiencing the mystery of the click-click-click.  Let’s hold our hands up and enjoy the ride!