The Gospel Escalator
Escalators make life pretty easy for us. You can go up or down, and you don’t have to take even a step. You do not even have to wait for
the light or the bell to ring. You just get on and you are moved. Most of us just
take that step, hang on to that handrail (and grab that child, of course) and go
for a ride which provides a brief interlude of rest while shopping.
And I know the response when you approach the escalator to change floors
only to find the people mover not working. Anxiety. Frustration. We look around, “Is there
an elevator close by?”
Have you ever been on an escalator when it stopped leaving you stranded between the first and second floor somewhere between the mature men’s section and the shoe department? It would appear ridiculous to those bystanders to witness our stubbornness as we wait for the repairman while holding on to the rail of the escalator.
What could possibly happen, that in the event of a escalator malfunction, is that we recognize we can take action and rescue ourselves from the situation. However, many people are just waiting on the escalator not taking action for themselves, but appearing to blame others, they
complain, they get anxious and frustrated, and they may even give up.
There were people like that in the Bible. While they didn’t ride escalators, they often shifted any responsibility to others. The ultimate example would be Adam. He shifted the blame.
He didn’t take any responsibility upon himself. And because he didn’t take action earlier or resist, he ended up with his “best” solution to the problem - blame someone else.
And he blamed God in Genesis 3:12, saying, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Real leaders do not blame others. They take
responsibility for climbing up the escalator or whatever steps are provided. So just as escalators have steps, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world …”
For the short (62 seconds) escalator video, see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYexOlC0CXw
or search YouTube for “Escalator Failure.”
Jeff Tacker serves as Editor for the writing team of CNOST. He also serves as a Campus Minister at Christian Academy of San Antonio. He is married to the former Sheri Wells of San Antonio. They have three children. The family attends the Northwest Church of Christ in San Antonio.
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