Wednesday, October 07, 2009

A Fable

Once, in ancient times, two monks were walking together in the trailless Egyptian desert. As they climbed over a rise, they saw below them a vixen steal an egg from a bird's nest and scamper away into her own den, the entrance to which was in plain view.

Abba Nelson, the younger of the two monks asked his superior, "What are we to do? The egg to the bird represents her next generation, but what if this is the fox's only way to feed her young? As Christians, should we intervene to perhaps save the chick or ignore the theft and perhaps save the kits?"

"If the kits grow up will they yowl Jesus' name to sinners?" asked Abba Abercrombie, the older monk.

"Not in our language, surely, but who can tell? We do not know how God will use us."

"And if the egg should hatch, will the new dove be seen in foreign parts as a herald of the Holy Spirit?"

"If strangers don't know of the Holy Spirit, they won't receive it from the dove, I wouldn't think. But who knows how God chooses his agents?"

"Quite right," applauded Abba Abercrombie, "but we can guess that if God meant to stop a crime, he wouldn't send an old monk and a philosophical one to the scene."

INTERCEDE, v.t. To interfere in the natural order according to the creator's instruction.

11 comments:

Jim said...

I say don't interfere with the food chain unless that is your part. Then intercede to preserve your own interests. Nature will take care of her own, you take care of yourself.
..
Did you sleep in this morning? Or hit the publish button from work?
..

Nessa said...

Intercede: To impose my views on someone else.

I didn't say Happy Birthday to Popi yesterday. Sorry.

Happy Belated Birthday Popi.

the amoeba said...

On a fine morning some time later, the philosophical monks went to their henhouse to collect their daily sustenance, only to find the hens ravaged, the eggs smashed or taken. Abbas Abercrombie and Fitch ... sorry, that was Nelson, wasn't it ... sorrowfully made their way to chapel and bent to prayer, their stomachs registering the complaint to the Divine that their minds dared not.

"We trusted you, Lord, to keep us and feed us. How could you let this calamity overtake us?"

"You blind guides!" Ja roared back. "I showed you your peril from the foxes, and I even showed you where they lived! What else do you want me to do?"

Jamie Dawn said...

I love today's definition.

I'm wondering if the fox could be trained to keep the egg warm until it hatches, then raise the dove as one of its own?
Nope. I didn't think so.
Speaking of Dove; I love their chocolate, especially the dark. Maybe the fox would exchange the dove egg for some Dove chocolate.
Nope. I didn't think so.

Leaving tomorrow for Lake Tahoe! Woo Hoo!!!!
I'll be in touch regarding Chandra.

weirsdo said...

And thus the faculty meeting was born.

quilly said...

Intercede -- wade into deep waters? Yes?

TLP said...

Good fable.

Intercede: To be a busybody.

Tom & Icy said...

And then they died. The end.

sauerkraut said...

And so the rumor goes: modern day conservatives intend to "interfere in the natural order" by re-writing the good book so that the parts which don't jibe with the political theories are cast into the sea.

"God wills it," sayeth them.

the amoeba said...

Wiersdo, your words to the Head's ear.

Doug The Una said...

Jim, I have the sniffles which in my case means complete disorganization of breath and action.

Thanks, Nessa.

Amoeba, that link is a keeper.

JD, that's one of the prettiest parts of our state. Enjoy and I'll see you at Chandra.

Weirsdo, whatever keeps the lettered from interfering is a productive use of their time.

Sure, Quilly! You still have vacancy on your mind, don't you?

TLP, that's well defined.

Haha, Actonbell. It occurs to me I'm building a monastery around myself. Not a good sign.

Amen, Icy. Good girl.

Where'd they learn that trick, Sauerkraut?

Amoeba, just tell me they serve coffee.