The Strongest Rope

[Alex Tang]

Another little monks story:

“Settle down,” said Abba Ah Beng as he sat down on his customary seat
on a platform set in the front of the teaching hall in Sow-lin
Monastery, “and I will tell you a story.” Looking across the sea or
rather the pond (Abba Ah Beng does not have many disciples. He gives
too much homework.) of expectant faces, Abba Ah Beng started his
story.

“Makua Ipo is one of the human head-shaped giant stones on Easter
Island. He loves his location at the top of a hill facing the sun. The
warm sunshine and cool breezes during the day, and the soft moonlight
at night makes him feel at peace. In fact he feels a sense of
wholeness with the universe, a sense that this is what things should
be. One day, a violent earthquake shook Easter Island. Makua Ipo
toppled from his place on the hilltop to lay facedown at the bottom of
the hill.”

“Aiya, so terrible-lah, facing the dirt,” sniggered disciple Ah Lek
who flinched when he saw Abba Ah Beng’s piercing stare.

“The villagers from the nearby village tried to move Makua Ipo back to
his original place on top of the hill,” Abba Ah Beng continued, “They
pushed and they tugged with all their might but they cannot move the
seven ton stone. They tried using a pulley and tackle contraption but
the ropes always break.

“One day, out of desperation, they sought the help of their village
elder. The kindly, beloved old man taught them how to make a special
six strand rope. ‘It will be strong enough to restore Makua Ipo to his
proper position on the top of the hill,’ he assured them. The
villagers followed his instructions and made the rope.

“The next day, the whole village turned out to help restore Makua Ipo
to his original place on the hilltop. Using a pulley and tackle
contraption, and the special rope, they pulled with all their might.
The strain on the rope was tremendous but the rope did not break.
Inches by inches, Makua Ipo was pulled up the slope, until at the end
of the day he was happily settled back in his original position on the
top of the hill.

“The villagers celebrated that night, satisfied with a job well done.
‘Bapak,’ they asked their beloved elder, ‘what is so special about
this rope that makes it so strong?’ The kindly old man replied, ‘The
strength of the rope lies in the materials that make up each strand.
Different materials have different strength. Each strand alone is not
strong but woven as a rope, the combined strength of the rope is
greater than the sum of its component strands.’”

Finishing his story, Abba Ah Beng looked directly at his disciples and
asked, “My disciples, what does this story tell you about spiritual
life?”

There was a sudden silence in the hall in which one can hear a pin
drop or the mangy dog that hangs around the monastery scratching for
fleas across the quadrangle. The silence grew deadly and deafening
loud as the minutes pass. Finally, a hand rose. “Yes, Ah Kow, what do
you have to say about this?” Abba Ah Beng asked his number one
disciple.

“Well, the rock being pulled uphill by the villagers may represent
spiritual growth, and, and the villagers may represent the helpful
teachers and fellow Christians,” stammered Ah Kow thinking of his
friends and teachers at the monastery. “The rock on hilltop and fall
down…ah, I know, it’s the fallen image of God,” Ah Kow finishes
triumphantly.

“Good, good” said Abba Ah Beng with a smile. “But what of the rope?
Why do some ropes break?”

“Made in China?” Ah Lek burst out only to receive a whack on the head
from Ah Lian.

“What about the rope? Anyone?” asked Abba Ah Beng. The silence this
time is even more deafening and the disciples could hear the cook
singing a song in the kitchen.

“Ah Kow is correct about the spiritual life being a process of
becoming or restoring what we already are. Makua Ipo is enjoying his
commune with the universe when he fell. Yes, the villagers are people
who help us in our spiritual journey. Yet sometimes we fail in our
spiritual growth because these people do not know how to help us. The
weak or incorrect rope breaks. The only rope that is strong enough to
pull us upwards in our spiritual life has six strands. Alone these
strands are weak. Weaved together, they can lift a seven ton rock.

“What are these strands? Well, they are worship, biblical learning,
community, serving, mission and prayers. Remember them well, my
disciples. These are the components that will make your spiritual
journey strong. Makua Ipo is Polynesian for God-lover.”

Abba Ah Beng finished his teaching with a blessing and dismissed his
disciples.

Reflection points

(1) What is the present state of your spiritual life?
(2) What are your thoughts of the image of God in relation to your
spiritual life?
(3) In what ways can you strengthen your spiritual life?
(4) Name one way you can do to strengthen your spiritual life and
focus on it for the whole coming week.


Soli Deo Gloria

Blessings,

Alex Tang