[learn_press_profile]
For years I would go to Worlds of Fun, which is a fantastic amusement park in Kansas City, and watch with horror as people would line up to get on the big roller coasters. I loved the park and looked forward to going every summer, but I thought going one hundred kilometres per hour in an open cart was silly. And that was especially true when they introduced the roller coaster that actually went upside down! Just the thought of doing it made me freeze in fear.
That changed the year I went to Worlds of Fun with my school. I was concerned enough about what people thought about me that the fear of being laughed at was greater than the fear of getting on that roller coaster. So, I toughed it out and got on that death trap. And I loved it!
Well, I might not have loved it right away, but I survived it. That made me happy and it also gave me courage for the future. I think by the end of the day and a few trips on those roller coasters, I began to actually enjoy them. Now I love roller coasters. It goes fast? Great! I’m getting on the ride! It goes upside down? Even better! What fun would it be if it didn’t? Now I am the guy who laughs at others when they can’t get on the ride. Well, except Lori, I won’t laugh at her. She would get motion sickness and lose the rest of the day. And, if she were to get on the ride, who would hold my hat and bag?
So, does that mean I should get on every roller coaster I can? No, of course not—and I learned that lesson in Colombia last year. And don’t worry—this is nothing against Colombia and their roller coasters. Parque del Café was a safe and fun amusement park. But, at one point I had to stand outside of a roller coaster and hold everyone’s bags and hats so they could ride the roller coaster that I was too afraid to get on.
Here’s what happened. The day was going great until we got to The Krater! This roller coaster was one of those fast moving, go upside down, yank you all around kind of rides that I love. So, of course, I had to go on it. Our good friend Andres, he didn’t feel the same way. In fact, he had never been on it before. So, I did my learned peer pressure routine and laughed at him until he decided to do it for me. The coaster literally went straight up in the air to get started, then at the peak made a quick turn to go not just straight back down, but back down at a 210 degree turn. Then it whipped around corners, went upside down once or twice, whipped around a few more corners and eventually stopped.
The problem was that I had a little headache when I started but had a massive headache after the head shaking ride was done. I could barely walk my head hurt so bad. I couldn’t see straight, couldn’t walk straight and I don’t know if I could think straight. So, there was Andres laughing at me (until he realized that I really was in pain) after he successfully navigated his fear.
Then the group wanted to go on another roller coaster and by that time I could think and see straight and realized it would shake my head again and that would not have been a good idea. So, I wisely chose to be the bag holder. I was back standing outside the roller coaster in fear — not fear of the roller coaster but fear of what it would do to my head. It was the best decision I could have made—not out of fear but wisdom.
That is an important lesson as we deal with the crisis of Covid-19 in this world. There is a lot of fear in the world right now with sports leagues, churches, and schools shutting down. For some the temptation is to look, laugh and say that everyone is blowing this way out of proportion. Let’s just keep going! But, finding a balance between courage, trust and fear is important—which in some ways is the definition of wisdom.
Jesus told his disciples to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves as they were sent out into the world (Matt 10:16). He meant the world was not necessarily the safest place for them. Yes, he would be with them, but that would not keep them from difficulty. So, as we plan a response and as we try to find a place between fear, courage and trust we need to be wise. We need to respect others and their well being—and our own, we need to make good decisions. Fear can save lives and it can paralyze us. Wisdom is the difference.
