Down in the hole

I remember when I first heard the Rolling Stones song "Down In The Hole" on their Emotional Rescue album. I bought it the summer before my junior or senior year in high school. I remember it being a really good mix of craziness at the time. Friends and fun, but plenty plenty plenty of uncertainty. While life was such a dream at that point, there was also this impending dread of decisions needing to be made. What if I made/make the wrong one(s)?

I thought about that song, and that summer, as I read this insightful article by James K.A. Smith 'I'm A Philosopher. We Can't Think Our Way Out of This Mess.' It's a tad on the long side, but worthwhile when you get a chance.

Anyway, I especially liked this story he shared.

This guy’s walking down the street when he falls down a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, “Hey, you! Can you help me out?” The doctor writes a prescription and throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts, “Father, I’m down in this hole. Can you help me out?” The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole, and moves on. Then a friend walks by. “Hey, Joe, it’s me! Can you help me out?” And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, “Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.” The friend says, “Yeah, but I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.”

You know, I'd have been okay if instead of the friend saying "I know the way out," he just said, "Yeah, but I didn't want you to be down here all alone."

...

I cringe every time I think about all the 'how to' sermons I preached, and all the easy answers I've given to people who were going through such crap in their lives...

Sometimes there’s really nothing we can do to help... Nothing. And that’s hard. 

But I’d like to think we remember the people who stuck by us in the hole.  

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"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." - Proverbs 17:17