Bird on the Edge

I saw a sparrow sitting on the edge of a branch on our maple tree. The wind was whipping the branches around, and the little bird was hanging on tightly. I wondered why it didn’t just perch closer to the center of the tree where it would be more protected. The branches didn’t sway as much closer to the trunk. But then I realized that a sparrow’s tiny feet couldn’t grip those thick central branches. It sat on the edge, because that is all it could grasp. 

Why do we hang on to the fringes of faith—to prepackaged, processed religion, adaptive social behavior, and mindless rituals? Why do we hesitate to go to the center of God—where we are safer from disturbance? We stay on the edge, because it is easier to grasp. We choose to be wind-whipped and unstable, because we feel like we are still in control. The periphery of faith is within our power of understanding. The deep center is beyond our comprehension. So we choose to sway back and forth, in a state of constant agitation—rather than be still and know God.