DAY 8: Two Roads
Our memory verse for the next two weeks (because it’s LONG) is ‘Enter ye at the strait gate, for broad is the gate and wide is the way that leadeth to destruction’ (etc., etc.). And I have to tell you… I can’t FIND a good picture that illustrates this. See, here’s the problem I have – everyone sees something like this picture when they think of it. I don’t. To me? The sunshine, green fields, and flowers are the broad way. To everyone else? They think the fire/ruins way is the broad way.
But let’s think about this for a moment. Do you HONESTLY think people are going to go the wreckage way? Seriously? Do you think that’s how it is? I don’t. I think Ha’Satan makes his way as palatable as possible, as easy and appealing as it could be. You need good bait to trap the prey. So personally? I see the fire/ruins as the narrow way. ‘Ye, though I walk thu the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me’. Or, ‘Take up your cross and follow me’. Or how about John 6:66? ((<< I love the numbers.)) Everyone turned and walked away from Messiah, saying that His way was too difficult. No… the pretty side of that picture is NOT the narrow way.
On the other hand, I don’t think that following Christ is a nightmare, either. There are difficulties. Moreso than for those on the broad way… because ‘My brethern, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations, for the trying of your faith worketh perseverance.’ Or Romans… ‘we rejoice in our tribulation, for tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience, hope.’ You come up on a LOT of difficulties, but the difficulties make the arrival at the goal that much sweeter. Yet it’s NOT all misery, like this picture shows.
I found a picture that was… backwards, as they all are. Lemme show you what I did to it… trying to illustrate what *I* think of when I hear the broad/narrow verse:
Christianity’s backwards, screwed up version.
Yeah. Everyone, when facing this choice goes for lava.
They want to burn up – it’s SO kewl.
What I did to the picture. Which… it’s supposed to be a sunrise, but…
Okay, so a gifted DeviantArtist I am not. But I tried.
I asked my friend Cagey/Twiggy if she could help me out. She *IS* a gifted Deviant Artist, and I wondered if she could come up with something for me. But she specializes in doing people (faeries, goths, renaissance heroines, warriors, etc.), so she kind of balked at the idea of tacking a landscape, but (for my sake), gave it a shot. I think it was an incredible effort:
We both came away agreeing that it’s hard to come up with something that really illustrates the concept of the broad/narrow way. But I’ve been thinking about this for quite a while, now. And kept looking for something on-line that might really hit the nail on the head. Mostly they’re pictures of people with heavy sacks filing down a highway that leads to lava/fire/Hell, and then a big cross that has a gate in it, that has shiny people going thru. Cuz… everyone wants to pass up the shiny thing and carry coal to the volcano, apparently. I hate church teaching. It falls SO horrifically short, 99.99999% of the time. Drives me crazy.
What do you think? When you hear the verses about the ‘broad way that leads to destruction, and the narrow way to righteousness’, what comes to mind? How do you picture the scene? Have you ever given it any consideration?
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ali
/ August 13, 2013I like her version there – it is hard to find – not impossible! Lonely, discouraging – I think the deal is you can’t see where they lead – the big one is just where everyone is heading along. It could be great if you made it like an airport terminal with all kinds of security guards checking badges, waving people through and filing people into a huge mob for the “heaven express” but you are headed for the little side door to the long EZ puddle jumper. Evading security.
annamatrix
/ August 13, 2013Interesting take on it. Originally I saw two buildings on a dark, lamplit street… one is a club, with people milling about, laughing, dressed up, having a good time, with a glimpse of the party inside. And next to it is a run-down little shop with cobwebs in the windows, neglected, but with the glow of a lamp within, and the door cracked open in invitation.
BOTH would be hard to illustrate. WAY beyond what I could do. I wish there were artists who did stuff like that, though!
cagey
/ August 13, 2013Eeep. *hides* Oh that’s such a terrible attempt at it really.. (ever heard that an artist’s worst critic is themselves? :P ) It really is hard to illustrate, and that’s why I think people often go with really simple concepts that actually don’t apply. It’s also really easy to just want to make the narrow way full of beauty… but the thing is we know the journey is long and difficult. Not many even hang on the path, or they want to turn back in fear. Reminds me of Pilgrims Progress a bit. Now that was one difficult journey!
annamatrix
/ August 13, 2013Tell me about it. And we have the two-page spread of drawing it to prove it! :D
qsqueue
/ August 14, 2013Yes I’ve thought about this many times and in my mind…also my heart, I picture the narrow road right in the middle of the broad road – with believers traveling in the opposite direction. There are thousands of people on the broad road pushing and shoving as they make their way to destruction. Believers are going against the flow, making their way along the narrow road jostled by the crowd, bumping shoulders, occasionally unable to move or momentarily getting off course. But, they are persistent in making progress toward their goal of eternal life.
I have trouble typing on my phone…11th day away from home and on the road. Husband is driving while I burn GBs on my data plan. :) blessings! Q.’
annamatrix
/ August 14, 2013Never thought of that! That’s an amazing illustration, too, Q. Thank you!
Neubeowulf
/ August 14, 2013When I consider this verse, I key into the fact that we are all upon the broad path to start with, and its the invitation to veer off and take that narrow and difficult way.
thenakedtroubadour
/ June 2, 2018I think this is a great illustration of that verse. I was wondering if I can use that on the cover of my upcoming eBook “Narrow Gate ~ Pathway Strait: The Road I have Chosen”. It’s a 200-page spiritual autobiography and presentation of what that road involves. It will be free of charge to anyone who wants it. I hope you will say “yes” as this is the only design I’ve found which cuts it. Thanks!
annamatrix
/ June 2, 2018You’re more than welcome. I just cut up other pictures to make it, so they weren’t mine, to begin with. :)
thenakedtroubadour
/ June 2, 2018Thanks so much. Do you have the original? If so, can you send it to my email address alan@alan-morrison.com
thenakedtroubadour
/ June 3, 2018Also, I was referring to the image made by Twiggy/Cagey :-)
annamatrix
/ June 3, 2018Then you should ask Twiggy/Cagey.
twiggy.wordpress.com