"The Lesson of the River" - Part 2

As I walked up the riverbank toward an outcropping of rocks, I stopped and began to observe the river. Where I stood, the water was flowing upstream because it was not in the main current and was caught in a large eddy. I could tell the water was flowing that way because of leaves submerged in it. On the surface other leaves were also being carried along with the current. As the water circulated back toward the main stream, the submerged leaves were drawn into the main current, but those on the surface simply circulated back around in the reverse flow of the whirlpool. Only when the surface leaves were submerged in the flow did they truly become a part of the river, heading on downstream toward its purpose.

While I was standing there a gust of wind blew some leaves from the trees. They landed on the river at various places. Because they were on the surface, they got caught in the whirlpool effect. Most of the ones that landed in the mainstream were circulated around into the eddy. There were a very few that got caught in the rapids and were immediately submerged to become a part of the main flow of the river.

I began to see the river like "the river of life" and the leaves as people. Most of the leaves were on the surface, like most people who call themselves Christians. They want to be a part, but are not yet fully submerged into participation. People enter the process at various times and places, but it takes time to be immersed for most of them. They are floating on the surface going in circles and even against the main flow. They do not choose to be submerged, but are drawn into it by the river.