Today, June 14, 2022, John Stonestreet and Timothy Padgett published “How Far is Too Far, and Other Questions the Church Must Answer.” They begin their article with this paragraph.
A question all youth pastors should expect to answer at least once in their career is the “how far is too far?” question. Of course, the person asking—usually a guy—wants to know how close to the moral cliff he can get before getting married. It’s a common question, albeit fundamentally wrong. The ones asking rarely stay pure for long since purity is better understood as a direction rather than a line. Instead of tip-toeing near the edge, a much better approach is to focus on trying to honor God and the young woman as much as possible.
The imagery they employ recalls an account that I have used throughout my years of teaching and preaching. I first heard this illustrative story from James L. Boyer, Th.D., one of my Greek exegesis professors at Grace Theological Seminary. He was among the most unpretentious individuals I have ever known. I had the privilege of serving him as a Teaching Assistant. During a course on the Greek exegesis of 1 John, Dr. Boyer used this illustration concerning how we are obligated to live the Christian life.
Whether this account is fictional or true, matters not. Its point is spot-on.
The story has been told of a wealthy and wise elderly widow during the late 19th century who lived alone on a hill overlooking a town in a deep valley. Along the steep, narrow, and winding roadway leading up to her home was a dangerous stretch along a sheer precipice where a railing would provide only an imaginary sense of security.
The widow’s surrey driver died, so she placed a notice in the local paper that she needed a chauffeur. Three men responded to her appeal. The wise widow requested all three to come to her house at the same appointed time to be interviewed. The three eager applicants arrived on time. She took the three men to her carriage house to interview them together.
She observed, “When you came up my steep and narrow driveway, surely you noticed the treacherous portion where the pathway edge meets the top edge of a vertical cliff.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the three men replied.
“Gentlemen, you see my carriage which has served me well for many years under the care of my former driver. I have one question for you. As you drive me to and from the village in the valley, how close to the edge of that vertical cliff can you negotiate my surrey and transport me safely to town and back home?”
All three men were eager to become the widow’s carriage driver. The youngest of the three spoke first, “Ma’am, I’ve been driving surreys since I was ten years old. Given my honed driving skills, I am confident I could safely transport you along that treacherous section with the carriage wheels within two feet of the precipice.”
Not to be outdone, another of the men quickly retorted, “Ma’am, I have been driving the handsome coach for the mayor of the village for fifteen years without any mishaps. I am fully convinced that I could negotiate that dangerous portion of the driveway with your carriage wheels within one foot of the edge and bring you safely down to town and back up.”
The elderly widow listened attentively to both men without interruption, signaling neither approval nor rejection. She was eager to hear the third gentleman offer his response to her singular question. She noticed that he was pensive and patiently waited to offer his response while listening carefully to the answers of the first two gentlemen. The widow prompted him, “And, sir, how would you negotiate that portion of my driveway?”
He answered, “Oh, ma’am, I would guide your carriage along the driveway by staying as far as possible away from the precipice so as to transport you safely to and from town.”
Whom do you suppose the widow chose to be her carriage driver?