The Parachute

(Note: Originally Posted 10-19-05)

Kirk Cameron, the actor who played Mike Seaver on "Growing Pains," now an active evangelist, uses an insightful analogy to convey the importance of his message:

Two passengers board a flight. The flight attendant hands Passenger One a parachute. “Here, put this on and wear it during the flight. It will help you enjoy the trip.” Though strapping a parachute to his back in a cramped airline seat is a bit of a chore, Passenger One complies.

Shortly, he discovers there is insufficient room to lower the drink tray. He must balance his drink and bag of peanuts as the plane flies through turbulence. Though irritated with the inconvenience, he continues to wear the chute. After all, the flight attendant told him, very sweetly, that his flight would be improved with the device strapped to his back.

Soon, however, the passenger across the aisle snickers. Another shoots him a derisive grin. The ridicule is more than Passenger One can stomach. The promise of an enjoyable flight loses its allure. He rips the parachute off his back and dumps it in the overhead bin.

Passenger Two is also presented with a parachute. The flight attendant, however, warns him that later in the flight he will be forced to jump from the plane at an altitude of 25,000 feet. The parachute will save his life when that moment comes.

The passenger thanks the flight atendant for the tip and slips the chute on his back. He makes sure the straps are taut and securely fastened. Forced to hold his drink in his hand, he spills on himself when they hit turbulence. But he doesn’t remove the chute. Passengers in nearby seats begin to whisper and make fun. Their critical glances make our passenger feel foolish. The insults hurt, and yet, anticipating the upcoming jump, he keeps the parachute firmly fastened.

The analogy shapes the evangelical message Kirk presents to those whom he meets. He doesn’t promise an enjoyable journey. He knows life can be difficult, inconvenient, and filled with insults. Instead, he addresses the jump we will one day be forced to execute. He addresses the future we face upon death. This future, in Christian thought, involves heaven and hell. If one believes, as Kirk does, that friends and acquaintances face the potential of spending eternity in horrific conditions (hell), one has sufficient motivation to suggest a path that might affect the outcome in a positive manner.

Kirk uses another analogy to inform his mission, the analogy of a fireman who must enter a burning building to rescue the endangered inhabitants. We would think little of a fireman who consistently considered the task to be too challenging to perform, preferring instead to leave the residents to their fate.

Those who have knowledge of the afterlife face a similar responsibility. They have a safety message to relay. Just as the responsible flight attendant advises the passenger of the jump to come, the evangelical owes fellow passengers a warning that they should prepare for the future.

Warnings of consequences that are not obvious, however, usually garner ridicule. In the face of such stinging criticism, it is often easier to turn your back. Nothing drains compassion quicker than a rude response to a heartfelt warning.

Like Ray Carte, in Under the Tree, we face a decision: do we remain silent, keeping our thoughts to ourselves, or do we speak out in the face of ridicule?

Tags: evangelism, Christianity, afterlife