Reflections on ice

The pond was frozen. Covered with an armour of ice. Geese waddled awkwardly on the slippery surface, seeking grip. They pecked at the ice with grim determination. No breakthrough and no food. Nearby debris suggested that this was a favourite geese haunt. A comfortable home; a place known and familiar. Now a grim winter denied them access to the familiar food, lodged in mud and reeds. Peck, peck, peck. Persistent birds - sleek, waddling, slipping. Brave attempts, but on resistant ice, getting nowhere.

Other geese had left the pond for deeper, flowing water nearby. A piercing morning sun had melted some ice. Water danced to the wind’s gentle tune. A slippery departure, a short flight. Now they swam in a river full of food. Graceful in flight, elegant in the water, they soon settled into the opportune setting.

Why didn’t the pond geese fly to the flowing water? Why the stubborn, futile pecking? To stay at the pond was pointless. Was it habit? Did they cling to memories of the ‘good old days’? Was it the heritage value of the pond that restricted their vision? Perhaps the familiar was more valued than the new? Did they cherish the comfort of fellow pond dwellers and the chatter of ‘the golden past’ when food was plentiful?

Watching this display, we thought about the Church. Sometimes it seems easier to waddle about in pursuit of lost causes, than to flex our wings and explore new opportunities.

Seize the day! This was the rallying cry of the film “Dead Poet’s Society”, starring Robin Williams. It is a good word for the Church, too. Seize the day! The early Christians knew how to do this. Fleeing persecution, they gossipped the gospel in towns, marketplaces, and homes. New churches, faithful communities of the People on The Way, sprang up in the most unlikely places. These Christians were not burdened by institutions to be maintained. They did not struggle to maintain a glorious past age. No, they were opportunists, travelling lightly, constantly educating, evangelising, giving and serving for the sake of the Gospel. It was an emerging church.

Is your congregation, is our Church, like the geese on the pond? Are we pecking away at futile tasks, at things that distract us from the essential work of the faithful Christian people? Are we forgetting how to fly and swim? Are we ready to move out into the flowing water, exploring and discovering new opportunities to which Christ calls us in acts of loving, obedient faith?

To find more about a recent investigation into educational ministry in overseas churches by Uniting Education staff, visit www.unitinged.org.au. Search for On Thin Ice.

John Emmett and Ted Endacott, Uniting Education
Posted: 16 June 2004

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