The Ski Paradigm

So I just got back from my first ever skiing experience in Niseko, Hokkaido. I was less terrible at it than I thought!  Overall, I have to say that it was pretty cool, swerving and coasting down the slopes in big S-loops, a million powdery snowflakes pattering on our faces, and cotton-draped pine trees swooshing by the side.  And now I know why so many friends and colleagues have been raving about skiing!

I remember hearing a sermon once, where the speaker was talking about skiing, and how you have to sort of counter-intuitively lean forward into the slope, rather than lean back, in fear of falling down. The point being made was that, as with skiing, we need to learn to lean forward into life's challenges and tackle them head-on.  Holding back actually increases the chances of wiping out!

And when I was on the slopes with the instructor, that's exactly what the instructor said.  Lean forward into your ski boots instead of leaning back.  It's harder than it sounds.  Every instinct tells you to lean back when you gain speed coming down the hill.  But when I did manage to, I realised I really did have more control when leaning forward.

But I still wasn't doing too great after my first round, so the instructor looked at us and said, tell you what, let's leave the ski poles behind.  Huh?  That's impossible, how to balance without the poles?  But what to do?  Already paid the guy, so just have to listen to what he says right?  So up we went on the ski lift again, this time with no ski poles.  Wobbled off the ski lift.  Then the instructor said, "OK so when you want to turn, just commit your weight to the downhill leg.  And you have to really commit OK?  Commit, commit, commit.  That's the most important thing you have to learn!"  Alright, doesn't seem to make too much sense, but I'll try.

Worked like magic.  I just leaned forward, committed weight on my left leg and I started to turn smoothly to the right.  Then vice versa.  No ski poles, suddenly no more struggling with unwieldy skis, just let physics and gravity work.  The only time it didn't work was when I felt I was going too fast and stopped trusting in the laws of the universe.  Leaned back in a futile attempt to slow down, went even faster and crashed into a snow bank!  But after a while, we were consistently whooshing down the slopes.  Lovely!

This Christmas, I think a lot of my friends will be invited to church, many of you to hear the gospel, some for the first time, while for others, you would have heard the message many times before, but haven't been able to get over the hurdles in your mind.  

The message of Christmas is a simple one.  God loves me and you, like a good father loves his children - unconditionally. Our many failures and deficiencies condemn us, but God chose to seek us out to offer us forgiveness.  He sent Jesus to redeem us from the consequences of our disobedience, and He sent friends to ask you to hear the Good News this very week.

But no one can be argued or forced into the kingdom of God.  In the end, it takes you to do something.  But that something is very simple.  Just surrender and let the laws of the universe work.  Lean forward into the slope.  Commit your weight to the Person who is in charge.  Really commit.  Then you'll find that everything works.  As you trust in Him, you'll find your fear draining away.  You don't have to struggle with the poles and skis.  Just let Him guide you as you lean on Him.  The snow banks are still there.  Sometimes we forget to lean on Him, start holding back, and then we crash.  But we now know what works.  We get up.  We lean forward.  And we go again.  It really is as simple as that.

This year, when you hear the invitation to give your life to the One who loves you, who is in charge, and who will never leave you nor forsake you, be brave.  Say, I'm ready to lean on You.  And He will catch you and send you on a better journey ahead than you could ever imagine right now.  I've been skiing with God for many a year now.  I still crash now and then.  But I get up, and I go again because Skiing. Is. Amazing.  And I tell everyone - lean forward - it really, really, really works.

So if you want to know how to ski, and no one's invited you to a party, you know how to find me, and I'll be overjoyed to add you to my Christmas invite list :)

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