The Flying Wallendas have been...
Illustration
The Flying Wallendas have been one of the world's most amazing aerialist acts. Most of us tend to think of this acrobatic family in conjunction with the tragic accident that took place on January 30, 1962, while performing at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit, Michigan. The accident occurred as they rendered the seven-person pyramid first envisioned by Karl in 1947. When the front man faltered that fateful day in Detroit the pyramid collapsed and three men fell to the ground. Two died that night and the third was paralyzed.
The history of this amazing family extends far beyond this terrible event. The Wallenda family first practiced their art in Old Bohemia of the Austro-Hungarian Empire beginning around 1780. This family has traditioned its young from generation to generation to follow them in the ancestral craft. Each generation has been dependent upon those who have gone before in a manner that is dramatic. Aerialist acts are completely dependent on a unique level of trust. Without trust that the other member of the team will catch you, it is very difficult to let go of the trapeze. Without trust that those who balance on the wire below will maintain their balance and support, it is very difficult to imagine being one of the six family members forming the top part of the human pyramid. There is a way in which all subsequent Wallendas owe their trust to the first of their line as they continue performing today well over 200 years after the act first performed. Abraham's trust is similarly described by Paul as a paradigm for faith to those who have followed in the Judeo-Christian family of faith.
The history of this amazing family extends far beyond this terrible event. The Wallenda family first practiced their art in Old Bohemia of the Austro-Hungarian Empire beginning around 1780. This family has traditioned its young from generation to generation to follow them in the ancestral craft. Each generation has been dependent upon those who have gone before in a manner that is dramatic. Aerialist acts are completely dependent on a unique level of trust. Without trust that the other member of the team will catch you, it is very difficult to let go of the trapeze. Without trust that those who balance on the wire below will maintain their balance and support, it is very difficult to imagine being one of the six family members forming the top part of the human pyramid. There is a way in which all subsequent Wallendas owe their trust to the first of their line as they continue performing today well over 200 years after the act first performed. Abraham's trust is similarly described by Paul as a paradigm for faith to those who have followed in the Judeo-Christian family of faith.
