The Statue
Scenes from the Street, part 4
Visit any major tourist area of almost any major European city and you will find them there: the living statues. They are men and women who get dressed up in outrageously interesting costumes and makeup and simply stand still as people walk by.
Some of them are dressed as knights, others are princesses. Some dress themselves as devils and others as angels. If you want to take a picture of them, you are supposed to give them some money. When you give them some money, they move for a few seconds and strike a new pose, which they will be frozen in for who-knows-how-long, until they receive some more money. In Spain, there is a man who looks like a cowboy. He has on the denim, the bandana, the massive hat, the boots, the spurs and he holds the lasso. He's my favourite of all the living statues because he's the best at standing still. But, hold on a minute, that's a bit ironic, eh? A cowboy standing still?! Cowboys weren't made for standing still. They were made to roam the open prairie, cracking their whip, spittin' chewin' tobacco. They were made to "blaze a trail", saddle up and ride across life's adventurous terrain. And here he is, standing frozen in the middle of the city pan-handling for pesetas.
Jesus encountered a couple of men who were in a similar situation. Here's what happened:
"Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, 'Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.' They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed." Matthew 5:18-20 from The Message
In other words, Jesus said to them, "You guys were made for more than this! Come with me, and I'll show you a real adventure." To our frozen cowboy He might say something like: "Look, it's up to you: you can choose atrophy or adventure." He says: "I know what it's like to be pinned down like a statue, and, trust me, it ain't fun. I'd much rather leave the cemetery and roam the Planet. Come, saddle up your horse, we've got a trail to blaze."
"Jesus said to Simon, 'Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men.' So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him." Luke 5:10,11