MERRY GO ROUND

Some people will say Carousel and some Merry-Go-Round.  Sorta like tomato .. tomahto.  Or maybe not.  Carousels only have horses, white lights, and go counter-clockwise.  Merry-Go-Rounds have horses, other animals, and fictional characters, multicolored lights, and go clockwise.  The clockwise thing is mainly in the United Kingdom and Europe which figures since they cannot decide what side of the road to drive on.  They are different unless you go to the dictionary and then Merry-Go-Round is listed under carousel which could make them one and the same.

In 1883, a carousel was set up in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.  This carousel was made in 1867 by Andrew Christian and Charles W.F. Dare Company.  The horses were hung by rods and chains and it was called a flying horse carousel.  Because they were hung, as the carousel went around, the horses flew outward.  I am not sure this would be OSHA approved today.  A little kiddie might go flying off as they reached for the brass ring with a sword.  For some unknown reason, the people who set the carousel up, slipped away and left it there.  Today it is called – drum roll – the Watch Hill Carousel.

California seems to have a number of places where the young at heart can climb aboard and go twirling around.  Griffin Park, in Los Angeles, is home to a 1935 merry-go-round built by Spillman.  This four-abreast ride has 68 horses and two chariots.  If you are on the outside, you can try for a ring.  If you grab a lead ring, you had the fun of grabbing the ring.  If you grab a gold ring, you get a free ride.  Initially, rides cost 5¢ and increased to 25¢ in 1951.  They increased again in the 1980’s to 50¢ and are $2.00 today.

Not to be outdone by California, Sandusky, Ohio has a Merry-Go-Round Museum.  Mansfield, Ohio has a carrousel (fancy way of spelling) which is the first new, hand-carved carrousel to be built and operated in the United States since the 1930’s.  All 52 figures were designed, carved, and painted by Carousel Works of Mansfield.  There are 30 horses and 22 menagerie figures, including bears, ostriches, cats, rabbits, lion, tiger, zebra, and even a mythical hippocampus.  As the Stinson Pipe Organ plays, the inside animals go 3.71 mph and the outside animals go 6.77 mph.  I have seen this carousel and it is amazing in detail.  No, I did not ride it.  Seems they must have known I was coming and it was shut down for the day. 

Am I fascinated with Merry-Go-Rounds?  Yes and no.  I love to ride them, but not fascinated to the point of searching for one on our travels.  And I know I won’t be buying one for my back yard.  They cost anywhere from $8,000 to $400,000.  So why a blog on them? 

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If you have ever been in my Sunday School class, you will know that thoughts pop into my head and no one is ever sure   where they come from.  That is exactly what happened the other day.  The thought? 

You cannot grab the brass ring if you don’t get on the merry-go-round.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.    

          Matthew 4:18-20

Simon and Andrew got on the merry-go-round.

(a certain woman with a flow of blood touched Jesus’ garment) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” 

          Mark 5:30-31, 32-34

The woman got on the merry-go-round.

(a rich young ruler who has kept the commandments) “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

          Mark 10: part of 17, 20-22

The rich young ruler did not get on the merry-go-round.

(Zacchaeus, chief tax collector, rich, and sitting in a sycamore tree)  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my good to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

          Luke 19:5-6, 7-10

Zacchaeus got on the merry-go-round.

Each of these examples made a choice.  Three were willing to reach for the brass ring and one walked away.  Three received everlasting life and one would never have his thirst quenched.

Jesus answered and said to her (the Samaritan woman), “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 

        John 4:13-14

I don’t know about you, but I chose to get on the merry-go-round.  I want to ride the tiger on the outside.  The one going 6.77 mph.  And I am going to snag that brass ring!!!