Bowling I

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
- Matthew 7:14

Last week some good friends took our whole family bowling. I think that it was the first time that we all played without bumpers (which are used to keep balls in play and avoid the gutters), even our two year old! Well, initially there were some frustrating moments as the kids adjusted to having to keep the balls in play on the lane. The lane seems so much narrower without the bumpers! Eventually, with a bit of coaching they were all learning were to stand, how to throw, how to use the guide arrows and how to stare intently and reach out to where they were aiming. The scene reminded me of words that Jesus spoke.
In Matthew 7 verse 13 Jesus instructs us to enter through the narrow gate for the way is broad that leads to destruction but the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to life. How true this verse is for us today and in our culture, with so many philosophies, self help programs, religions and world views. I recognize that in our pluralistic culture it can be hard to accept some of the exclusive claims that Jesus makes. If Jesus is telling the truth however, then He is just stating fact and is simply reading the map to us – this path goes here, that path goes there. No one gets angry with a map maker for indicating which roads are dead ends.
Like bowling, there are many paths that we may follow through life, but at the end there is only one that can keep us in the game for eternity. It is quite possible that we could invest a lifetime of time and energy to a path that in the end, like a gutter ball, does not amount to anything.