A SHORT PARABLE ON BELIEF AND FAITH
A circus performer put a tightrope across Niagara Falls. When sightseers gathered, he picked up a pole and crossed to Canada. All applauded.
He crossed back while skipping rope. He crossed on a bicycle. The crowd got larger, the applause bigger.
He crossed walking on his hands. He crossed doing cartwheels. He crossed pushing a wheelbarrow. He put a pig in the wheelbarrow, and pushed him across. He put a horse in the wheelbarrow and pushed him across. The siize of the crowd and the applause grew with each crossing.
He came back and addressed the crowd. "How many think I can push a person across in the wheelbarrow, and would like to see me try it?" Everyone said they were sure he could, and wanted to see it done.
"All right. Then who wants to be the one who rides in the wheelbarrow?"
He was answered with total silence.
Everyone believed he could, but none had faith in his ability. Faith is belief in action. As St. James said in his Epistle, (2:17) "In the same way, faith by itself is dead if doesn't cause you to do any good things."
A circus performer put a tightrope across Niagara Falls. When sightseers gathered, he picked up a pole and crossed to Canada. All applauded.
He crossed back while skipping rope. He crossed on a bicycle. The crowd got larger, the applause bigger.
He crossed walking on his hands. He crossed doing cartwheels. He crossed pushing a wheelbarrow. He put a pig in the wheelbarrow, and pushed him across. He put a horse in the wheelbarrow and pushed him across. The siize of the crowd and the applause grew with each crossing.
He came back and addressed the crowd. "How many think I can push a person across in the wheelbarrow, and would like to see me try it?" Everyone said they were sure he could, and wanted to see it done.
"All right. Then who wants to be the one who rides in the wheelbarrow?"
He was answered with total silence.
Everyone believed he could, but none had faith in his ability. Faith is belief in action. As St. James said in his Epistle, (2:17) "In the same way, faith by itself is dead if doesn't cause you to do any good things."
