Several of the younger girls and boys were wrestling as the community began gathering for the nightly story. Grabs, holds, pins, escapes, surrenderings -- the usual flow of two humans each looking to physically and mentally overcome the other.
The Story Teller smiled. This fit right in with his Story of God for the evening.
After the parents had called the children in and all had settled around the fire, the Story Teller said, "I saw that some of you younger folk were wrestling with each other before we began tonight. Why do you do that? What is its purpose?"
A brief silence. Then one of the girls said, "Because it's fun!" "To see who is strongest," said one of the tougher boys.
"Yes," said the Story Teller, "And there may be other reasons too. Tonight I will tell a wrestling story. See if you can spot other benefits for wrestling with another. You may find out that while wrestling with another, you are also wrestling with yourself."
"Long long ago, there was a man called Jacob. One of the meanings of his name is Trickster. He had tricked his father into giving him his older brother's inheritance. His older brother, Esau, was not older by much. They were twins but Esau emerged first with Jacob grasping him tightly by the heel. They were the children of Isaac, the son of Abraham."
"Jacob was returning home after many adventures in the world and his brother, Esau, was coming to meet him with an army of four hundred men. Though he was afraid of what was going to happen, Jacob decided to face the music. He and his entourage of wives (he had two), children, servants, and animals of various kinds came to a brook which, in his mind, was the boundary between him and his brother. There he made a camp for the night.
"In the early part of the night, he sent everyone across the brook. And he sent across all his stuff, everything he had. He was left alone. This is where the wrestling began.
"Some say Jacob wrestled with a Man (capital M); some say an Angel; some say with his own conscience. Jacob said he wrestled with God. I believe all four are true. They are not mutually exclusive.
"Night time is a special time for wrestling with what bothers you. All the daytime distractions have fallen away. You are faced with yourself. You are face to face with your Origin and your Destiny. You are face to face with your shortcomings, with your strengths, with your fears, your hopes. The mirror of you is held before you and you gaze unblinking. That is, if you are a good wrestler.
"Jacob was a good wrestler. He and God wrestled through the night. Daybreak approached and God knew he would begin to fade so he made his best move. He put Jacob's thigh out of joint. But Jacob would not surrender.
"God said 'Let me go.' Jacob said 'Not until you give me your blessing.'
"God said, 'What is your name?' I'm pretty sure that God already knew Jacob's name. He just wanted him to say it out loud. Jacob said, 'Trickster, deceiver, schemer, swindler.'
"Jacob said, 'What is your name?' Funny guy. He knew that God's name is 'I Am.' God said 'Never mind that. I give you my blessing. Your name is no longer Trickster. Your name is now Israel, contender with God, for you have wrestled with me and have prevailed. Now that you have been victorious with me, you will also be victorious with humans.
"God left, the sun rose, and Israel named the place Peniel (Face of God) because, he said, 'I have seen God face to face and I have survived.' "
All were quiet, caught in the story's visions and in their own recollections of wrestling through the night.
The Story Teller smiled. This fit right in with his Story of God for the evening.
After the parents had called the children in and all had settled around the fire, the Story Teller said, "I saw that some of you younger folk were wrestling with each other before we began tonight. Why do you do that? What is its purpose?"
A brief silence. Then one of the girls said, "Because it's fun!" "To see who is strongest," said one of the tougher boys.
"Yes," said the Story Teller, "And there may be other reasons too. Tonight I will tell a wrestling story. See if you can spot other benefits for wrestling with another. You may find out that while wrestling with another, you are also wrestling with yourself."
"Long long ago, there was a man called Jacob. One of the meanings of his name is Trickster. He had tricked his father into giving him his older brother's inheritance. His older brother, Esau, was not older by much. They were twins but Esau emerged first with Jacob grasping him tightly by the heel. They were the children of Isaac, the son of Abraham."
"Jacob was returning home after many adventures in the world and his brother, Esau, was coming to meet him with an army of four hundred men. Though he was afraid of what was going to happen, Jacob decided to face the music. He and his entourage of wives (he had two), children, servants, and animals of various kinds came to a brook which, in his mind, was the boundary between him and his brother. There he made a camp for the night.
"In the early part of the night, he sent everyone across the brook. And he sent across all his stuff, everything he had. He was left alone. This is where the wrestling began.
"Some say Jacob wrestled with a Man (capital M); some say an Angel; some say with his own conscience. Jacob said he wrestled with God. I believe all four are true. They are not mutually exclusive.
"Night time is a special time for wrestling with what bothers you. All the daytime distractions have fallen away. You are faced with yourself. You are face to face with your Origin and your Destiny. You are face to face with your shortcomings, with your strengths, with your fears, your hopes. The mirror of you is held before you and you gaze unblinking. That is, if you are a good wrestler.
"Jacob was a good wrestler. He and God wrestled through the night. Daybreak approached and God knew he would begin to fade so he made his best move. He put Jacob's thigh out of joint. But Jacob would not surrender.
"God said 'Let me go.' Jacob said 'Not until you give me your blessing.'
"God said, 'What is your name?' I'm pretty sure that God already knew Jacob's name. He just wanted him to say it out loud. Jacob said, 'Trickster, deceiver, schemer, swindler.'
"Jacob said, 'What is your name?' Funny guy. He knew that God's name is 'I Am.' God said 'Never mind that. I give you my blessing. Your name is no longer Trickster. Your name is now Israel, contender with God, for you have wrestled with me and have prevailed. Now that you have been victorious with me, you will also be victorious with humans.
"God left, the sun rose, and Israel named the place Peniel (Face of God) because, he said, 'I have seen God face to face and I have survived.' "
All were quiet, caught in the story's visions and in their own recollections of wrestling through the night.
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