sailing the seas

Thursdays are 'school' days. The usual two assemblies.

The Head had the younger children laughing their heads off as he described the things he was frightened of himself when a child. Dangers he imagined, which weren't there at all. He was on good form.

He re-told the story he'd told them last week. All about a fish tank.

There were two lots of fish in the tank: some tropical fish and some goldfish. The owner kept them separate by putting a glass partition down the centre of the tank.

A long time later the tropical fish all died. The owner removed them quickly. And then he thought he'd remove the partition as well. It would give the goldfish more room.

But once he'd removed the partition, and given the fish much more freedom, the goldfish still stayed in the same half of the fish tank. Swimming round and round in half a tank, like they'd always done, and not enjoying the freedom to 'stretch their fins'.

Why do you think that was? asked the Head.

All sorts of answers were given.

They were content with what they'd always had and didn't want any more.

They were familiar with the 'geography' of their own little patch. They knew the varied distances and measurements.

They were creatures of habit. They didn't really think about the things they did. They were on a kind of 'auto-pilot'.

They were cautious. They'd seen some fish die in the other half. Perhaps it wasn't safe.

They were afraid of the unknown.

Once they got going, the children had all sorts of reasons explaining this strange reluctance on the fishes' part to venture into the freedom they'd been given.

The theme for the month is Imagination. And the Head used a quote which I've mentioned before. Something like -

You'll never discover new oceans or new lands until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.

For the Christian that translates to faith, of course.

It's not a blind faith. Nor is it ever the 'power of positive thinking' (imagine-it-enough-and-you-can-make-it-happen sort of thing).

But it is that willingness to to take the Lord at his word, and follow him out from the harbours of our safe religious practices and sail the seas with him.

A timely word for us all in these days of looming storms.