By Pastor Ron Stair, FCC Hiawatha
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth’s rite of passage? The youth’s father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help. He cannot defend himself from attack. He cannot remove the blindfold even to verify whether he is in danger.
Once he survives the night, he is a man. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each boy must come to manhood on his own. It is important that each youth experience this part of life for himself. Each one must make this journey into the unknown.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might want to do him harm. The wind blew the grass and the trees making a rustling sound, but the youth sat stoically, never removing the blindfold.
To remove the blindfold would bring dishonor and shame. To remove the blindfold meant that he would not be a man. Though he might be deeply afraid, he must keep the blindfold in place. It was the only way he could become a man. Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared, and he removed the blindfold.
It is then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. The father had been there all night, watching and protecting his son from harm. We are never alone. Though at times our lives seem like an endless darkness filled with danger, we can be confident that God, our heavenly father, is right next to us. As Christians, maybe the biggest fear we have is the fear of being afraid.
The Bible is full of passages that tell us, “Fear not,” from entering the Promised Land, to returning to Judah after the exile, to angels appearing at the time of Jesus’ birth. Yet, we tend to be fearful of many things. Remember, God is there for us, and we need to trust God. Even when we don’t realize it, God is sitting beside us in the dark places, watching over us. So, leave the blindfold on.