June 2015
Indiana Jones gazes across the impossible span between himself and the carved-out entrance on the opposite cliff. So close, yet so far away. There is no bridge, no rope, no way of passage from one side to the other. He desperately glances at his father’s diary in search of a clue. “It’s impossible,” he concludes. Suddenly, he is struck with an epiphany: “it’s a leap of faith,” he marvels. Summoning every ounce of courage he can muster, he takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and recklessly steps off the edge of the cliff into thin air. Miraculously, his foot lands on the first step of a suspended bridge that suddenly appears, saving him from a deathly fall and providing safe passage to the other side. His leap of faith is rewarded. The Holy Grail is now within reach.
Most of us have seen this movie and are familiar with the scene. Growing up, I can recall several youth preachers using it as an illustration when teaching about faith. It’s certainly a powerful image: an act of complete surrender that defies logic and requires a person to ignore the laws of nature and instead place complete trust in a higher power. It certainly seems to illustrate the concept of “blind faith” and gives an unforgettable visual representation of what a “leap of faith” looks like.
I don’t necessarily think that it’s a useless analogy. Faith is an abstract word, and it’s difficult to show a child or young person what faith “looks like.” Perhaps the image of Indy at least introduces the concept.
However, I don’t think that this image is very practical or accurate in terms of what real-life faith actually looks like. The Bible doesn’t actually mention “blind faith.” The phrase “let go and let God” sounds good, but again…not in the Bible. And, as awesome as Indiana Jones is (and believe me, I’m a big fan), you won’t find a scripture that references a “leap of faith.”
The Bible may not mention leaps of faith, but it does mention steps. We’re told in Psalm 37 that “The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.” That statement has become hugely important in my life. I wish that God would lay out every process in my life in “map” form: a starting point, a defined route, and a clear destination. There are some occasions where He does that, but most of the time, it’s not that simple. I’m finding that many times, He’s not showing me a complete map or giving me a “preview” of the journey ahead. Most of the time, He’s just asking me to take a step. Taking a step isn’t necessarily all that scary…it’s just that while you’re taking it, your mind is demanding to know “what is the NEXT step?”
Most of the time, I don’t think that faith looks like stepping off a cliff. It’s not usually a reckless, dangerous, suicidal daredevil “leap.” Usually, it looks like a step.
If I were to re-write the script for that climactic scene, I wouldn’t have Indiana Jones standing on a cliff across from the treasure, but rather on a ledge below it. The only way to reach it would be via a stairway…only no such stairway exists. Suddenly, a single staircase step appears in front of him. He steps up onto the first step. Only after he takes that first step does a second step appear just a little bit higher. He takes the second step, and then a third appears, and so on. Needless to say, the scene would be much less dramatic, much less daring, much less “Indy.” But, it would be real.
Real-life faith may not be as dramatic as Indiana Jones makes it look, but it’s also not easy either. We want to see the whole stairway, not just the first step. How tall is this thing anyway? How many steps are there? Is this a straight staircase or a grand, curved one? We want to know what we’re getting into. We want to know how hard it’s going to be. We want to know how long it’s going to take. Alas, that’s not how it works. Usually we’re given the next step: no more, no less.
God told Abram to take a step: to pack up his family and leave his hometown. He didn’t give a roadmap, an itinerary, or a manual with step-by-step instructions. He simply asked him to take a step.
I’m on a journey right now. I’m not ready to tell you about it yet, because I’m right in the middle of it. Awhile back, I believed that God was leading me to take a step. He showed me the step. I stood there for a bit, staring at the step, sizing up the step, thinking about all of the potentially scary outcomes that could result from taking that step. And yet, I had faith in the One who was presenting the step…so I took it. And you know what? He showed me a second step, and a third. I’m somewhere in the middle of the staircase now, at least I think I am. After all, I’m not really sure how long this staircase is. I’m not really sure how long it’s going to take. But, I’m ready for the next step, because I have faith in the One who is ordering my steps.
There’s a next step for each of us. I don’t think that God is daring us to take a “leap of faith,” but I do believe that He is inviting each of us to take a step…and another….and another. It might not look as adventurous as Indiana’s suicidal leap, but indeed it is an adventure. There’s no better journey than the one He has planned for you.
“The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.”
Psalm 37:23
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