A Parable

There was once a village which sat next to a river. The river, in many ways, was the life source of that village. They fished in it for food. They harnessed its currents for power. They bathed in it, drank from it, swam in it. It was the focal point of village life. And that is why it was so disturbing when one day, a body came floating down the river. The person was beaten and bruised but still alive.

One of the villagers, a good and compassionate man named Steven, rallied the others to care for the man they had found in the river. They were happy to help. The next day, to their horror, another body floated by the village. Again, Steven insisted that they must help. And so they did. The following day, it happened again. There was another body in the river. And then another and another. The villagers, led by Steven, continued to rescue the bodies and care for them, even as their resources, energy, and money was all spent on caring for the people found in the river.

When they felt overwhelmed and discouraged, Steven would rally them and encourage them to persevere in their acts of compassion.

One day another villager, a young man named Andrew came to Steven and said, “Steven, you have been so compassionate, helping those we have found in the river and encouraging us to not give up when we have been overwhelmed by how many bodies we have to care for. But I can no longer help care for the bodies.”

Steven was stunned and disheartened by this announcement.

But Andrew continued, “I must go and find out what or who is throwing the bodies into the river. I must find out how and why they are beating these people and casting them away. And I must stop them.”

 

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