The allegory of the hikers

There were a group of friends who decided to go hiking together. They were going to a place that they had never been before. As they were going along together they came to a beautiful stream. As they walked along the bank they found a boat moored along the shore. 

Someone suggested that it might be fun to get into the boat and travel down stream for a ways. 

Everyone agreed except you. You decided to take the path that went up the hill so that you could see the view and the water below. Your friends all got in the boat and some made snide remarks. They waved goodbye and you started your ascent up the steep and rocky trail. It was not an easy climb and there were many thorns and bramble bushes eventually you were rewarded with a magnificent view. You could see your friends down below on the steam laughing and seemingly having a good time. They waved to you and you waved back. 

As your eyes looked down the valley you could see the course of the stream. It meandered slowly for a ways and then you could see that around a bend in the stream that it proceeded into a series of rapids eventually terminating in a huge waterfall dropping into a deep canyon. This view was not able to be seen by your friends in the boat. 

You were too far up the hill to run down to them in time. 

What would be your obligation? What should you do?

How would your friends react?

Would they heed your warnings?

If you were one of those in the boat what would you want your friend up on the hill to do?

How would you respond to the warning ?

In Jacob 1:19 we read;

“taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.”

The is a German song that expresses a similar scenario. 

 

Ich weiss nicht was es soll es bedeuten dass Ich so trauig bin. 

ein Märchen aus uralten Zeiten,
das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn.

Die Luft ist kühl und es dunkelt,
und ruhig fließt der Rhein;
der Gipfel des Berges funkelt
im Abendsonnenschein.

Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet
dort oben wunderbar;
ihr goldnes Geschmeide blitzet,
sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar.

Sie kämmt es mit goldenem Kamme
und singt ein Lied dabei;
das hat eine wundersame,
gewaltige Melodei.

Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe
ergreift es mit wildem Weh;
er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe,
er schaut nur hinauf in die Höh.

Ich glaube, die Wellen verschlingen
am Ende Schiffer und Kahn;
und das hat mit ihrem Singen
die Lore-Ley getan. 

 

Lorelei (aka Loreley) is legendary German mermaid, who was created by Clemens Brentano in 1801. The story went like that: A beautiful maiden named Lorelei who waited for her lover on a rock at the narrowest and shallowest point of the Rhine River. He never returned, so she jumped off the rock to her death.

There are many distractions in this life that will eventually lead to our destruction unless we listen to the prophetic counsel of the prophets and our family members who are in a position to guide us along the path to eternal life.

 

Listen to Grandma and Grandpa.  We will never do anything to lead you astray.

 

Love,

 

Grandpa