Sabbatical Journeys With Trapeze Artsists

Henri Nouwen wrote a book called Sabbatical Journeys, in which he wrote about friends who were trapeze artists. They told Nouwen that there is a special relationship between the flyer and the catcher on the trapeze. This relationship is governed by important rules, such as “The flyer is the one who lets go, and the catcher is the one who catches.” As the flyer swings on the trapeze high above the crowd, the moment comes when he must let go. He flings his body out in mid-air. His job is to wait for the strong hands of the catcher to take hold of him at just the right moment. They told Nouwen, “The flyer must never try to catch the catcher.” The flyer’s job is to wait in absolute trust. The catcher will catch him, but he must wait. Waiting is a time when God is working behind the scenes, and the focus of His work is on us. (Paul Wallace - Sermon Central)