Get in the Wheelbarrow

“Do I really believe?”

That’s not always such an easy question to answer. We say we believe in all kinds of things – from God and country to values like marriage, family, and justice. But what happens when those beliefs get challenged? Do we stand passively on the sidelines and pretend we believe? Or do we get in the wheelbarrow?

That phrase, “Get in the wheelbarrow,” is a metaphor from the mid-19th century. It sprang up around a man named The Great Blondin. In 1859, he became the first person to cross Niagara Falls by tightrope. To draw crowds, Blondin repeated his death-defying act again and again, each time featuring some new twist. Once, he walked across backward; another time, blindfolded. Perhaps his most daring trick included a wheelbarrow.

In one account, a reporter asked spectators whether they believed The Great Blondin could successfully push a wheelbarrow across the Falls. “Of course,” the people answered confidently. Then the reporter asked, “Do you believe enough to get in the wheelbarrow?”

It’s one thing to agree with an idea in theory; it’s another to commit to it fully. We can’t claim to believe something and then hide in the shadows. We may stay safe, but if it costs us nothing, it also rewards us with nothing. Real belief requires action. We have to get in the wheelbarrow, take a risk and put our trust to the test.