Sermon On Life Is A Circus

Laura Vanderkam, an American author once remarked: “The more times I attend the circus, the more I am struck how inaccurate the life-is-a-circus metaphor is. When people say that life is a circus, they mean chaos. Too much going on, things flying everywhere. The circus is nothing like that. The circus has many moving parts, but everything is completely controlled and orderly. It has to be. When you’ve got acrobats suspended in clear orbs up in the air, ice skaters speeding past, people on unicycles circling through, clowns, motorcycles, and the ringmaster regaling the crowd, you have to have everything planned.” Hebrews 12:1 reminds us: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

A circus has misleadingly been attributed as a “metaphor for life.” It can include elements of breathtaking accomplishments, laughter, fear, glamour and sheer enchantment. It has been said at times, to be crazy and unpredictable. It has been viewed as disorganized, as so much appears to be happening at the same time. However, this is false conviction, as nothing could be further from the truth. It is a complex but carefully planned routine of skilled artists showing dedication and performing in careful coordination with each other, day in and day out. Each must know their exact place at any given time. Each must remain in their defined areas of operation for the sake of safety.

Circuses have been in existence since the times of ancient Rome. They are renowned and located worldwide and usually include an assortment of acts that may feature trained animals, clowns, acrobats, trapeze artists, dancers, etc. The circus may be considered as traveling or static. It usually takes place in a large specially constructed marquee for ease of assembly and dismantling during travel.

The perennial performers who belong to the particular circus group are often considered as one large family, and while they usually live in separate caravans, the unity remains remarkably close with the show itself often considered as the parental overseer and the artists as the children of a huge family. Each person looks after the next to provide a strong and inseparable bond. Faith, love and trust in each other is of natural importance, just like a normal household.

Dave Liebman, an American saxophonist once remarked: “Art is constant tension and release. That is where artists live, between the two, or at times, submerged in either. The challenge is never ending, perfection is impossible, it could always be different, better, or worse. It's not important, just process and striving to be like the man who walks the trapeze, maintaining balance.” Joshua 1:9 confirms: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

A trapeze is defined as a horizontal bar hanging by two ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support and free to swing. It is used by acrobats employed in a circus during their performances. A trapeze act can be solo, but often usually involve two or more people, called flyers and a catcher. The flyers will be the artists who undertake the main features of the act which can include a variety of free-falling somersaults etc. and the catcher is their lifeline. They perform daring and dangerous sequences of artistry to provide thrills and excitement with precision to the audience in attendance. In some circumstances, a honeycombed type netting may be rigged in case of accidents and to provide an element of safety, but in others, no such reassurance is provided. This is where faith and trust in each other become of imperative importance.

The flyers must be certain that the catcher has the strength and skill to grab them as they soar through the air unaided at a particular moment, and the catcher that the flyers will perform the correct pre-rehearsed actions with their body and arms so that he may safely grasp them at the appropriate spot to prevent disaster. It is a highly complicated series of events that requires perfect timing and continuous rehearsal to achieve perfection. The more complicated the act, the more dedication, trust and faith is needed.

In our normal everyday lives, we could assimilate the responsibilities and dependabilities of the flyers and the catcher to our own relationship with God. We could be considered as an individual flyer and God, as the catcher.

Just as the flyer and catcher in a trapeze act need faith and trust in each other, to provide a spectacular and awe-inspiring act, so we can seek a similar relationship with God. We have to trust that God will be there to catch us when we are falling. He is our salvation if we seek His help and will prevent harm from coming to us if we depend on Him. Psalm 91:1-5 reminds us: ‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.’