Just this once indulge my sense of humour...Let me show you how to really push an illustration too far. Never do this if anyone will think you are serious that this is how to do a good illustration or analogy!

I posted earlier in the day a reflection about fear and about how the anticipation of ruin ahead ought to make one quake. And in the case of judgment, repent.

When I got to the surgery for my injection 2 senior staff had been brief about me! I am that infamous when it comes to sticking needles in me. They said "we are going to tell you exactly how to avoid the bad stuff happening. You have to trust us, act on what we say and it will be alright." Well I've heard that kind of thing plenty of times before so was pretty sceptical but played along.

They were absolutely right. Everything was fine for the first time since I was a child. They even suggested afterwards that I might be alright "forever"!! I only had their word to go on, all my previous experience and knowledge of myself was inclined to make me not do it. The only thing that made me go along was credible people who cajoled me. I am so glad they did. I only found out by acting on their word that there really is an alternative for me.

Right, time to stop before the illustration gets even cheesier. Except to say there will always be people who don't believe us, for whom the message sounds crazy and who can't see how it intersects with what they think they know about the world. But they trust us and have a relationship with us. We shouldn't be afraid to tell them about what will help them be alright forever.