There is a monastery in Europe which was built in a most difficult location. To get to it, you must climb into a basket that is connected to a long rope and be pulled up over 500 feet. It is a long way down, and the only thing that keeps you from falling is a rope. So if you are afraid of heights, it is not a very pleasant ride. Years ago, two women were making their first visit to the monastery, and while riding in the basket, they noticed the rope was frayed and torn in places. One of the women nervously asked the monk who was riding in the basket with them, “How often do you replace the rope here?” The monk replied, “After the old one breaks.”[1]

Is this not a metaphor for our lives? The weight of sin and the gravity of pain and tragedy cause the fabric of our lives to fray and, at tim…