Trapeze Theology

Just started reading Michael Ford's biography of Henri Nouwen "Wounded Prophet" and reminded of Nouwen's interesting fascination with the circus and particularly the skills of the trapeze artiste. He saw those skills as depicting how we should live.  He especially recognised the importance of the catcher, recognising that the star is not the flyer who spectacularly moves through the air, but the catcher whose hands are there to receive. He saw that as being like God, commenting: "If we are to take risks, to be free, in the air, in life, we have to know there's a catcher. We have to know that, when we come down from it all, we're going to be caught, we're going to be safe. The great hero is the least visible. Trust the catcher."  (Nouwen in 'Angels over the Net', a film about his trapeze theology, quoted in Ford.)