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Ecclesiastes 4:12 (The Message)
By yourself you’re unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

The kingdom of heaven is like a camping trip.

The first thing we need to do is to set up camp. So, first, we select where the main campfire would be. Then we select the group kitchen areas, next we selected our tent sites, and finally we selected our latrine locations. Splitting into teams we quickly dig out our firepit, erect our tents, dig out our latrines, and hang our tarps over our kitchen areas.

Now, there are many ways to hang a tarp. But, one of my favorite is to select an area where the trees are situated farther apart than the size of the tarp I will be using. Using sturdy rope I run a tight line from one tree to the next forming a box of any shape, as long as it is larger than the tarp. I then connect my tarp to the box with small runner lines.

When setting up my box, I like to secure my rope to the first tree using a 7 pass-thru Timber Hitch. The timber hitch is very secure, but easy to release.

To get the rope taut, I like to use a trucker’s hitch, or a modified trucker’s hitch.

The trucker’s hitch provides more leveraged pulling power than any other configuration I have found. So much so that very few, if any, ropes can withstand the sheer force that can be exerted. In other words, most ropes will snap if pulled too tight. This knot provides the potential of that sort of pulling strength.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like this rope. With the firm base of the timber hitch on one side and pulling power of the trucker’s hitch on the other. These two strong hitches are two of the most respectful knots you will ever find. Despite the amount of force they can create and withstand, if you should ever wish to untie them, they are quickly and easily undone. They are knots that desire to be used in service of the Kingdom, but they are highly respectful of the free will of the Kingdom Citizens, as well.

Sometimes I find that my ropes are too short and I need to join two ropes together. In these cases I find that the Kingdom of Heaven is like the Fisherman’s Knot.

The Fisherman’s Knot is made by taking the end of two pieces of rope and laying them side by side. One rope is knotted around the other rope and to finish the knot the second rope must be knotted around the first rope. When drawn together, the knot becomes the strongest knot known to man (from what I hear), able to withstand the fiercest of storms.

And, finally, the Kingdom of Heaven is like splicing a bight, or a loop into the end of your rope.

At the end of your rope you have all these loose ends that don’t have purpose and are even in the way of any meaningful purpose. But, intertwining with the rope gives them a sense of purpose and belonging. And, their being brought into the rope, changes the rope itself. Not its nature. But, the characteristics, purpose, and use of the rope change.

So is like the Kingdom of Heaven.

Pastor Tom Nicholas