5 September 2025

On 7 August 1974, Philippe Petit walked across a tight-rope strung between the Twin Towers in New York with an 8’ balancing pole. The Towers were 1,368’ from the ground. There was a distance of 140’ between them. On windy days, there was enough force in the wind  to knock a man down.

Security was intense and there was a police station in the basement.  Despite the protests and threats from the police gathered in amazement on the roofs of the Twin Towers, Petit made eight crossings on the wire and spent no less than 45 minutes literally dancing with death.

The live footage is breath-taking. Two moments stand out. The first is when Petit lies down on his back on the wire between the Towers and looks up into heaven. The second is when he kneels on the wire as if he is genuflecting in church. Suddenly, he raises his arm in the air with the flourish of a dancer in the Royal Ballet.

‘I observed the tightrope dancer because you couldn’t call him a walker.’ said Sergeant Charles Daniels who was charged with bringing Petit down. ‘Upon seeing us he started to smile and laugh and he started going into a dancing routine on the high wire … His feet were actually leaving the wire … Unbelievable really …’

What was so compelling about this amazing feat was not only the artistry of the performer but that the performer was literally dancing with death. It took courage and faith to step over the edge of the highest building in New York and onto the very high wire! What was going to happen next? ‘Everything was framed by death!’ as Petit said.

Religion, like high-wire walking, is dangerous! The joie de vivre of Philippe Petit’s performance between the Twin Towers contrasts dramatically with the fanatical terrorism of 9/11. And it’s not just Islam which is dangerous. Judaism and Christianity are dangerous too! Fundamentalism, exclusivity, certainty are a danger to us all destroying the joie de vivre  of living and loving in God!