Of Coloured Balls and Uncle Paul

Calvin Seminary has a Scripture memory club. Every year they choose a text or book of Scripture to memorise and during a chapel service in the Spring semester they dramatically recite the passage. This year it was Philippians and the best recitation of Scripture I've heard yet. It included a rhythmical drum beat, a chorus and responsive reading. Listening to the clubbers speak the words of Apostle Paul in the back of my mind (probably not only mine) was the curiosity if someone would forget the next line or flub up the present one. I had a strong sense that I wanted the recitation to be perfect, but when a mistake occurs I admit to feeling a bit of relief about their humanity.

Thus with jugglers. It's amazing to see these magicians of gravity able to keep so many of the brightly coloured balls whizzing around their heads with the ease of flipping pages of a book. You really want them to keep the round objects up in the air and obeying the one who tosses them up, catches them and tosses them again. You stand their awe-struck until the performance has finished, hoping it's not a premature ending due to an unruly ball finding its way past the juggler's hand and dropping to the earth. But, lo, it happens. He is human as well.

Confused recitations and dropped balls: Yep, it happens. If it hasn't, it will.

Then what? Drop the rest of the balls and go home? Pass on continuing the scripture verses and sit down?

Nope. Pick up the miscreant ball and start again. Take a peek at the Bible passage and speak on.