HOLY MAN
A holy man was having a conversation with the
Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are
like."
The Lord led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room
was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew,
which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting
around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were
holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each
found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But
because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons
back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The
Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the
first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made
the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with
the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump,
laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand."
It is simple," said the Lord. "It requires but one skill. You see they have
learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."
When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you.
10/8/2007