So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."    John 6:24-35

Back in the mid 1800's there were a multitude of what I'd refer to as nut cases that would perform death defying acts in, over, and under Niagara Falls. Perhaps the most famous of all was The Great Blondin, who was a French tightrope walker. You guessed it: he walked the tightrope 1100 feet across the falls, not once, not twice, but eight times in the summer of 1859! When he came back the following summer, he announced that he was going to cross the tightrope pushing a man in a wheelbarrow. The crowds went wild: 10,000 Americans on one side of the falls and 10,000 Canadians on the other, all of them chanting, "Blondin, Blondin."

A man rushed up to speak with him. "Mr. Blondin", he said, "I have been looking forward to meeting you all day. I just wanted to let you know that I have faith in your ability. I believe you will get your man across." For several minutes he went on, talking about the tightrope walker's skill and reputation. When finally he stopped, Blondin replied, "I have been looking forward to meeting someone like you all day. Would you please get in the wheelbarrow?" As a matter of note, historical records indicate that Blondin did push the wheelbarrow across safely. But it was empty. No one, no matter how great the faith which they professed was willing to get in the wheelbarrow.

Lately, it seems there is no shortage of us otherwise faithful Christians, who are feeling some trepidation about these uncertain times. Many are scared and worried, fretting about the yet unwritten days that are ahead of us in this New Year. For them, "Believing in Him who He sent " is a little like getting into Blondin's wheelbarrow.

I've learned that "believing in Him who He sent" is a process, a part of our faith journey. Each time I've confronted that tightrope stretched across the Falls of Life, there's been some hem-hawing about actually getting in the wheelbarrow. What was I worried about? "Do you believe or don't you believe?" I asked myself. Looking back, I know now that it was the steady hand of Jesus pushing that "wheelbarrow" and it was the palm of God's loving-hand right underneath us both. Sometimes life does come with guarantees. It requires some letting go on our part: Letting go of our own agenda, letting go of our fear, sometimes, even letting go of our money or our "stuff", and simply believing. But how do we get to that perfect faith? I guess the same way we get to Carnegie Hall...practice, practice, practice.

Help me as I practice climbing into your "wheelbarrow" with a sure confidence and a grateful heart. Help me as I practice believing that whatever lies ahead, we are starting this New Year as we will end it, together. Help me as I practice letting go of my fears, so I can be the blessing to others that you intended me to be. Amen.

Contributed by Linda
Sunday January 18, 2009
Liturgical Year B Week 8
Sunday Gospel Reading:
Second Sunday after the Epiphany