Playing It Safe

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Helen Keller More times than not, when the subject of my Holy Land trips come up in discussion, someone will ask me, Aren’t you afraid to travel there?” My natural inclination is to laugh, not a nervous laugh like I am uncomfortable to answer the question, but a deep belly laugh like somebody just gave the punch line to a tremendously funny joke! In spite of the incredible experience a trip to the land of the Bible has given to millions of pilgrims safely many people view such a trip with fear and trembling. I suppose that is the price we pay to have the all knowing, all seeing 24/7 news outlets showing every event, mostly bad ones, in every part of the world, all at the same time. We are no longer able to discriminate between different geographical parts of the world. A hurricane in Florida means the whole state has been demolished. A war in Iraq means every Middle Eastern state is a location of insurgent violence. Simple truth, no American tourist has been killed in the nation of Israel in over sixty years. None. Zero. Nada. Yet when I returned from my most recent trip I came home to a community trying to figure out why a teacher was shot two times in the chest as he answered his own front door, why a nurse was found murdered in the security and privacy of her own trailer home and why two German tourists were robbed and shot dead in our own serene and beautiful Sarasota. What is the most dangerous place on our own church campus? The darkened back parking lot? No! The hidden places on our campus where the homeless sometime sleep? No! Crossing Main Street’s traffic on Wednesday night to get to prayer meeting? No! The children’s play ground? Yes! We have had more injuries requiring medical attention and even surgery by children enjoying the playground! I share all this with you to simply say, life is a dangerous place and many times our perceptions get all messed up of what is safe and what is truly dangerous. If you live your life based upon perceived fears you will miss the best part of life. I am not suggesting that anyone live recklessly or ignorant of the dangers that truly exists, but I am encouraging you to live the Jesus life. He traveled fully trusting the Father to provide for Him, even if that path took Him to the cross. This past Sunday we celebrated God’s greatest act in the resurrection! I sure am glad Jesus didn’t play it safe!

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