A few years ago, I gave Julie a hang-gliding trip as a birthday present. We spent the night in Chattanooga and got up early in the morning for a lesson at Lookout Mountain where she and two other students spent a few hours with an instructor to learn the basic skills of the sport.
They got comfortable with the weight of the glider, walking first on level ground and then jogging and even running with the glider on their shoulders.
Once they got comfortable on level ground, they started working with the glider on a slight slope and then on increasingly steeper hills. And as they started jogging and then running down these hills—with this huge glider wing above them—they actually started to take off!
The glider started to lift them up into the air, at least for a second. And then all of them did the exact same thing—a great big Superman belly flop into the grass.
When the glider starts to lift you up into the air, beginning hang-gliding students have three natural reactions.
First, they look down because they feel as if they are losing their footing. Second, they grip the metal bars of the hang glider as tight as they can, holding on for dear life. And third, they tend to stop running and try to leap into the air in an attempt to give the glider the final push it needs to really take flight.
And when you do those three things, you do a great big Superman belly flop into the grass.
So guess what the hang gliding instructor kept shouting—over and over again?
Head up! Light touch! Keep running! Head up!! Light touch!! Keep Running!!
Head up, light touch, keep running. That repeated mantra has stuck with me. It’s not just good advice for hang gliding students; it’s good advice for all of us in 2020 as we face what has the potential to be a pretty turbulent year.
Keep your head up in 2020. There’s a lot going on around us this year, and tensions seem to want to run unusually high. It can be easy to want to just hunker down and wait for calmer waters. But Christians shouldn’t feel bowed or beaten down by even the most challenging of seasons. The ultimate Good News of scripture is that God’s presence endures in wonderfully powerful ways, especially in challenging times. So count on God’s presence, be God’s presence, and keep your head up.
Handle things with a light touch in 2020, too. Don’t cling to issues or events too tightly or approach people with an overly heavy hand. We all have a lot on our plates, and most people just want what’s best for our community and world just like you do. So use a light touch.
And keep running in 2020. Don’t let the feeling of being overwhelmed or exhausted knock you off your feet or put you on the sidelines. Keep plowing ahead faithfully in the fields where God has placed you. Know that your presence, your work, and your Christian witness matter—and keep running.
Head up. Light touch. Keep running.
See you Sunday.