Three Wild Horses

And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name sat on him was Death, and Hell follower with him (Revalation 6:8)
   The first horse is a Pale Horse and "pale" means the color of terror, a kind of ashen gray.  The Pale Horse stands for the physical body.  If you live but for the body, there is nothing but hell awaiting you on this plane or anywhere else.  The body is the most cruel taskmaster of all, when it is allowed to be the ruler, the Pale Horse indicates all other physical addictions too.  When the Bible sometimes calls the "world" - money, position, material honors.  Whoever lives for worldly pursuits, is the rider on the Pale Horse.
   And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given to him that sat theron to take peace from the earth (Revalation 6:4).
   The Red Horse is your emotional nature, your feelings.  It is dangerous to allow your feelings to have control.  this does not mean that emotion is a bad thing in itself.  Unctontrolled emotion is a bad thing.  A strong emotional nature is a splendid endowement if you are the master, but fi t is mastering you, you are riding on the Red Horse.
   And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand (Revalation 6:5).
   A pair of scales is here the symbol of unbalance.  The Black Horse stands for the intellect.  Riding the Black Horse is letting your intellect dominate to the exclusion of the emotional, and especially of the spiritual nature.  It is a good thing to have the intellect well trained, but it is a misfortune to let it be the master.  Western civilization has been definately riding the Black Horse since the close of the Middle Ages.  Humanity has developed scientific, intellectual knowledge far beyond the point to which it has developed the moral and spiritual understanding of the race.

What an awesome description of the body, mind and heart.  As I was reading, it was hard not to start thinking of the people I am connected to in this life and then make a judgment about what horse they were riding. In terms of Alcoholics, I believe most ride the Pale Horse.  At least I know this to be true in my life.  I don't like feeling emotional pain.  I have a low threshold for anything painful emotionally.   Maybe the key is to switch horses at the right time.  Let's jump on the Black Horse for a minute.  It doesn't make much sense to feed the Red Horse a bunch of drugs and alcohol that  magnify or dull the senses it needs to navigate effectively does it?  Nor does it make sense to expect the Pale Horse to take over and be able to navigate out of an emotional forest of feelings. But that is exactly what I do.  So clearly the answer is to ride the White Horse.  Maybe that's heaven, me on a white horse for all eternity.  Unfortunately I live on earth and earth appears to be planet Krypton for my White Horse.  Maybe this is what Jesus speaks of when he talks about us being able to do all of the things he has done and even greater things.

Alcoholics Anonymous is correct in many respects about the importance of living a spiritual life.  The AA program also breaks life down in to manageable pieces calling for one-day-at-a-time living.  It also references the truth that each of us allow our instincts and natural character qualities to get out of balance.  The problem I have with AA is how it states that Alcoholics are like men who have lost their legs and they never grow new ones and that AA meetings and reliance on a sponsor are required for a life free from the destruction caused by allowing the physical or White Horse to dominate their lives.  I wonder what Jesus would say about Alcoholics Anonymous. 


My prayer - Lord, I pray that I would trust the ability I have to chose which horse to ride.  Release in me the balance I need to live happy, joyous and free.  Remove from me the doubt I have over my ability to chose and free my mind, body, and heart.