Michelle's Climb

The Pendulum works the way it sounds: As high above as you can climb, you fasten a loop with a metal nut and slide the rope through the loop. Then you climb down a few feet, dangle on the end of the rope, and try to swing across the sheer section. It takes nerve. You must lean out against the rope into empty space and, with a well-timed push, vault across the face of the cliff. If your lunge toward a safer spot fails, you swing helplessly back and try again.
After your entire party has swung the pendulum, you pull the rope all the way through the loop. From then on, there is no turning back. You have crossed a section of the cliff that requires a rope to swing on and a loop to attach it to. The loop is now out of your reach, and the rope coiled at your feet. There is only one way to go: up.

The above excerpt is taken from the Student Bible (Yancey, P. & Stafford T.) As a commentary to the book of Hebrews, they liken the decision of the Jews to follow Christ to rock-climbing. This decision was not only “can’t-turn back” for them. It was a risk, for to follow Christ was to give up Rome’s official protection and traditions that goes back thousands of years. The book of Hebrews seems designed to push such people toward a decisive commitment, or the other. Point by point, the author shows how Christ improved on the traditional way. Hebrews is a no-holds argument on why Christianity is better (a key word in Hebrews) than old-covenant Judaism. The new faith is worth any risk.

The tug of the old and the fear of the new is still a prevalent thing for us today as we struggle daily to surrender and commit. It is the promise of Salvation and that Jesus has called us his brothers that keeps us going! Read Hebrews to find out more!

On a lighter note, this entry is actually dedicated to Michelle for being such a wonderful friend and sister and great rock-climber (duh). And to so many others of you who have impacted greatly my stay here in Perth, Thank you!

-Louise Tay