THE PARABLE OF THE MOVING WALKWAY

                A young man was passing through a large airport between flights. As he began to make his way toward his gate, he came upon two moving walkways standing side by side. For some reason there was no barrier between them. One was moving toward him and the other moving away in the direction he wanted to go. He stepped onto the walkway and allowed it to carry him forward.

                This moving walkway was rather long and the young man became bored. He thought to himself, I have plenty of time before my next flight. I don’t need to be in a hurry to get to the gate. Maybe I can have some fun along the way. He looked around cautiously, and seeing no one, he hopped over on the opposite moving walkway. He stood facing forward as the walkway carried him backward. After a short time, he hopped back onto the first walkway, allowing it to carry him forward. He did this several times, each time letting the walkway carry him a greater distance.

                Hopping onto the backward moving walkway, he waited a long time before acting. Suddenly he heard the warning. You are coming to the end of the moving walkway. At this he hopped back over the divide and passively moved forward again. This became his new game. Each time he waited just a little longer after he heard the warning before he jumped. On one occasion his heal actually hit the grate at the end of the walkway just as he hopped off. He laughed and felt as if he had won the game.

                Chuckling to himself, he let the walkway carry him forward for some time. Then he hit upon another idea. Could I sort of run in place with one foot on each walkway? He began tentatively with a slow gait. As his left foot hit the backward walkway, he was pulled back. As his right foot hit the forward walkway, he was pulled forward. He quickened his pace to try and decrease the distance he was either pulled back or advanced. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he completely forgot about the time.

                An announcement came across the loud speakers that caught his attention. It was the final boarding call for his flight. He had just shifted his weight to the backward walkway. He twisted his body to move quickly in the other direction, but his foot caught on something and he fell. His body landed on the backward walkway, but his head hit the metal divider, knocking him cold. His limp body was dragged along until it collected in a crumpled heap at the grate. As the walkway scraped against his side, a familiar message rang out. Danger, you are coming to the end of the moving walkway. But the young man didn’t hear it.

                Seat 27A was empty as the plane rose into the sky. The passenger holding that seat never showed up.  

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                Throughout the Bible we are warned that we cannot live in two worlds at the same time. We cannot have one foot in the World and one in the Kingdom of God. People have often called this trying to straddle the fence. I have often thought that the idea of straddling the fence doesn’t quite explain it. For in fact, a person can straddle the fence, even though it may be uncomfortable.

                The parable of the two moving walkways is a better image. The World system is constantly pulling us in one direction and the Kingdom of God is pulling us in the opposite direction. The World is moving us farther from God and the Kingdom is moving us closer to God. A person who tries to move in opposite directions at the same time will be torn apart.

                In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it clear that there are two moving walkways in life. One is broad and easy and leads to destruction. The other is narrow and challenging, but it leads to life. It may seem fun or exciting to try to balance between the two walkways, but Jesus makes it clear that we cannot win that game.

Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”