The Rope

Tug O' War, Conflict, Fear

The rope is strong. Strands of fibre, thickly twisted, resemble the rippling muscles of a prize fighter. And this rope is using all the strength it contains to resist the opposing forces on each end of it. The strain is threatening to snap it into two, to divide us from each other forever with a great chasm impossible to close.

The rope is love. The rope has withstood many strains before. Some conflicts almost broke it, but they never succeeded. Always love has been the victor.

But this time, even though the strong rope of love is now as thick as a wrist and much stronger than in previous years, the threat of snapping is evident. The threat is real.

Each of us is fighting for survival, fighting for something we cannot let go of, knowing we cannot live with ourselves if we let go of what is essential to our being.

Oblivious to the strain upon the rope, our faces are streaked with perspiration and lines of intense effort. Sweaty hands slip a little on the rope and we distance and detach more and more from each other as we fight for our existence.

Fierce concentration, intense focus on the battle between two wills drive other concerns aside. We snap at other people, we forget appointments and we wake at night, too angry to sleep.

No other person seems to exist for us, so intense is the conflict.

But the rope will not give. The rope keeps its integrity. It‘s getting frayed at the edges, but the core remains intact. The core of love is forged by the One who is love. It cannot, will not succumb to outside forces.

Each of us holds firm to our strong belief. I take a fresh grip on the rope and yank, not wanting to let it slip; I cannot walk away in defeat and despair. You also give a great tug and take a firmer grip further up the rope. Gradually, pulling and gripping ever more strongly we close in on each other, refusing to give in. Close enough to eyeball each other, now, I am able to see the fear written in your heart. And, you are close enough to see the panic in my heart.

Understanding begins to flow between us. We understand each other now, yet we cannot let go of what is vital to our existence.

The job of living life still has to be done. But how? With so much fear, how can we live our lives?

Together we tackle the task that has been dividing us. Hearing and knowing the other’s fear, there is a way to accomplish this work. The fear is real. We name it. This nebulous feeling becomes solid. It is a force to be reckoned with. We understand both the truth and the lies that our fears are founded on; and we are able to get to work and do the necessary work of living. Now, and only now does the panic begin to subside. We support each other and give a helping hand to each other when we have a chasm of fear to cross.

And, the rope is intact, frayed at the edges but strong, invincible to the end.