Absolute Security

At the top of the 1,000-foot mountainous peaks of Meteora, Greece, monasteries have been built _ not recently, but hundreds of years ago. Their inaccessible location gave the monks an opportunity to remove themselves from the cares and concerns of the world. These monasteries also became, because of their impossible location, places of solitude, safety, and security. Up until the last century, goods, and the most rare of individuals _ visitors _ had to be winched up in a basket that was hand-powered by the monks. Those who made the ascent found the ride a terrifying experience, what with the basket swaying and swinging. One of these tourists, recording his adventure, admitted to getting nervous about halfway up the cliff. That’s when he noticed that the rope seemed old and frayed. Thinking that he might relieve his fear at least somewhat, he asked one of the brothers who was riding with him, “How often do you change the rope?" Without a moment’s hesitation, the reply came back, "Whenever it breaks!" That kind of response doesn’t give a person a feeling of absolute security, does it?