How Long is Eternity

Steve Marshall and David Meeker used the following illustration to help young people begin understand eternity.

Imagine a steel ball the size of the earth. Then imagine a tiny mosquito fly into view and then toward the steel and then it just barely grazes the steel ball with the tip of its transparent wing. Then imagine 1000 years pass then the mosquito comes flying at the steel ball again and it just barely grazes the steel ball with the tip of its wing. This repeats over and over every thousand years.

Now think about this, by the time that mosquito wears that steel ball down to a spec of dust, Eternity will have just begun

Parable of the Drivers

In the days of the old west, a wealthy man needed a driver for his horse drawn carriage. He put out the word and many had applied for the job, but only three were really qualified. All three seemed very experienced and each one had excellent references.

The wealthy man announced that he needed to test their individual driving skills to determine who he would hire. He then layed out a course that extended from one end of town to the other and onward to the wealthy man's mountain home. Then he said that he would ride with each driver and would hire the one driver that he determined was the best driver.

Each driver was eager to show his skill. The first drive was confident. He manuvered the carriage with great skill through the streets of that little western town and then up the montain side. The road was bordered on one side by a steep bank and on the other side by a steep drop off. The driver decided that this stretch of road was a very good place for him to show off his skill. So he demonstrated that he had such great control of the carriage that he could move the wheels of the carriage within one foot of the edge of the precipice and could maintain that control for the entire distance of the cliff and he did it without flaw.

The other drivers had watched the first using binoculars. That is why the second driver knew he had to demonstrate a greater level of driving skill. So when his turn came he drove the horses expertly more quickly through town without one incident and then when he reached the montain road he decided to demonstrate even greater skill by moving the wheels of the carriage within six inches of the edge of the precipice all the while at a higher speed than the first driver. When we pulled in front of the wealthy man's house he jumped down and opened the carriage door and anounced that he was the better driver and that no one would be able to do better than he. The wealth man shrugged, "you are good, very good, but I must give the third driver his opportunity as I have promised."

The third driver climbed into the "driver's seat", took the reins of the carriage and gently urged the team of horses onward. This driver seemed to have no urgency, because as he moved the carriage through town, he spoke pleasant salutations and tipped his hat as he carefully navigated the streets. As he drove the carriage up the mountain he chose to move the carriage so that the wheels were as far away from the edge of the precipice as possible.

Which driver do you think the wealthy man hired?

I use this story (or a variation of it) when I talk to young people about following Jesus. Often the subject of "gray areas" comes up. For example, God does not say "thou shalt not smoke pot." "It's a gray area", they might say. When I think I am confused about how God would have me live, or if it seems a bit gray to me I ask him to show me the safest way. It is not how close you can get to edge, but how how far away can you get from the edge of the prcipice of sin.

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