For a start, it was edgy at the queue. It’s awhile back now, but I remember we said something about giving negative feedback because the staffs were impolite, they didn’t accept soft copy tickets, and made us queue all the way from the back again. Then later we saw some people with soft copy tickets were actually allowed in after all.
Anyway, the Eureka Tower (The Edge) is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Melbourne. I only visited it a few months ago with some friends (after being here for over 8 years!). There’s this thing called the Edge experience that’s supposed to test/confront your fear of height. You went into the elevator, it moves out horizontally, protruding out from the tower, once it stops, the opaque walls of the lift flicked transparent so you can see the view outside and how high you were. But hey, it looked so firm and robust, held tightly by visible pillars obstructing clear views.
We talked about possible improvements to the experience:
- Once the glasses turned transparent, move the elevator down at/faster than gravity and up and down again, shaking people up
- Clear the glass completely (remove visible pillars around the elevator box)
- Breaking glass sounds
- Imagery of breaking walls around it and floors you stand on
Anyway,.. if they do all that, I’m not even sure I want to try it.
Confronting Your Fear
So only 2 of us went for the Edge experience (and they’re acrophobic ones). They didn’t faint from the experience, in fact they thought it’s quite alright. So it is with many fears of ours, most of the time they aren’t all that scary in the end.
This reminds me, a few years ago, something got into me and I thought of skydiving in New Zealand. I asked one of my brothers whom I knew was gonna go there on a business trip, ‘Any chance you wanna do skydiving while in NZ?’
‘Sky diving? What the hell! I am afraid of height, wa e kha e tun e ah*. Afraid I will pee my pants on the way down.’
I forgot for a moment that he’s afraid of height! 
But I still tried to convince him saying his pants will dry by the time he lands anyway. But he didn’t sky dive, neither did I – the NZ trip just didn’t happen in the end.
Little Pleasures in Life
Despite being disappointed at the customer service and the mediocre Edge experience, it was a good day spent. Some were excited being at the highest post box in Australia, meanwhile for me it’s just being with these friends that makes the day.
What keeps us together? The blood of Christ. Do we get to choose our family? We don’t. Likewise, with the blood of Christ, we do not get to choose who are in our family. But with the latter, it is a lot more diverse because it covers the whole earth. As I heard it said before, Christianity is the only religion that is not localised to any particular culture or region in the world. The others are predominantly a Middle Eastern or Asian thing or thrive in some certain kinds of culture and tradition at some regions of the world. However, Christianity starts from the Middle East, it’s gone to Europe, to America, then there was a growth in places like Africa, in Asia, particularly Korea at some point and now China. It speaks to the human hearts wherever or whoever you are.
So it is with the church, when I look around and see the diversity there is in age, background, ethnicity, personalities, career, gifts, and ask why are we in one another’s life this way and doing life together, supporting one another through life’s trials and seasons? Because we are kept together in Christ. More than just a common ground like a hobby or some matching idiosyncrasies we discover in certain people, it fundamentally affects the core of your heart (not just emotion, but will and mind too) and transforms lives such that you live to emulate the example of Christ.
When the gospel makes its way into your heart, it becomes the first culture that supersedes any other culture there is. It applies equally to every language, race and culture, hence putting an end to any racial/cultural superiority as we know it. I remember hearing someone said (Tim Keller?) when we understand the implication of the gospel that salvation is by grace alone and not by your pedigree or records of good works, we live it out with the knowledge that everyone is equally sinner and loved by God. That ought to break down any barriers of man-made groupings and brings about the unity of spirit.
Like a Family
That reminds me of my church camp a few months ago. I spoke to Mom over the phone after the camp, telling her I was just on my way back home after dropping off some friends. She asked, ‘Who were in your car?’
‘A young girl who just graduated from Univ and has started working now. Another lady who’s my peer, has been working for a number of years like me too. And an older couple in their 60s with Sri Lankan background.’
She asked, ‘Do you split petrol cost?’
‘No, of course not. It’s just a trip to the Philip Island, and we’re like one BIG family, Mom.’
She laughed and went on asking, ‘How many were you at the camp?’
I said, ‘About.. 200?’
She exclaimed, ‘WHAT?? 200?! How do you eat?? How can you eat with so many people!!’
‘We ate together, buffet style, there’s a cafeteria/canteen with lines of tables to fit the crowd.’
She continued, ‘So are there kids? Young kids? Crying? Playing around? Isn’t it a mess?’
‘Yes, Mom, just like one BIG family!’
Does it mean one big happy family? Not really. Just like any biological family, it is by no means perfect. Like everywhere else in the world, full of flawed people who are often self-centred. It is good we’re not kept together because we’re happy with one another (if it is, then it won’t last very long, would it?), but by something that runs much deeper and stronger. Equally sinners, struggling against one another but learning to struggle together under the grace of our God who promises to help us bear with one another and grow us in humility and gentleness. So it is with any of God’s family.
Anyway, I don’t recommend the Edge, but yes, do spend the time with people (Edge or not!).
*wa e kha e tun e ah (Hokkien) = my knees will tremble (English)