Running Off The Cliff

A couple of days ago I met up with a pastor friend of mine as we were talking about the idea of faith, and I was preaching about faith just last week.

As we dwell in the concept of how scary faith can be as it demands such trust to do something that is so uncertain. But more than that is the idea that faith can be something that is downright scary and dangerous by the standards of what we perceive things to be.

My sermon challenged the idea of placing foundation on faith as oppose to logic, because logic can be relative to different people's experience and understanding. But faith is something that is so essential in Christianity that is forces us to lean on God's word alone.

As the conversation went on, he mentioned an analogy that got caught up in my head ever since. Not only because the analogy was good and relate-able to me but it is emotionally provoking. This is the analogy of running over the cliff.

When God says "RUN" and nothing else, you run with all you've got and even at the sight of a thousand feet drop cliff right ahead... you still run... and then embrace whatever comes ahead.

Alexander the Great once ordered his soldiers to walk off a cliff, all in to demonstrating his power and will of conquest. He was facing an army that was larger than his at that event and because of the faith that the soldiers had in demonstrating their willing sacrifice, Alexander won over the surrender of his enemy for the sacrifice of his army.

Who on earth would you walk... or in this case... run off a cliff for?

Even as I imagined myself running (being in the safety of my imagination)... I had a split second of scare from the feeling of jumping into what is mostly the unknown but a possible hit to the solid ground below. I have had dreams about falling as my heart beats a million miles an hour, and that memory and sensation of the thrill brought about a sense where I would jump and trust in God's saving arms to catch me, much like waking up in relief from a dream that would lead to the fall to my death.

Faith is scary... and the image and sensation is unforgettable.