Wednesday, February 6, 2013

The Silver Pound


I had   in my hand—once upon a time—a pound of silver.
It was too cumbersome, too troublesome, and eventually too heavy to carry
around.
And knowing no place to trade it in, I tossed it over a cliff! Henceforward: I was
       done with it!
How free I felt, how unburdened, how liberated—the value was not worth the
bother —so I felt.

This is not so unlike the Christian today, who has thrown away this and that
(Christian beliefs):
Unread Bible, dusty on his bookstand; the faith he once had: that Christianity
            demands; the church: because it is too costly a weight upon his billfold.
And how about all those knocking’s at the door by false prophets, selling peace
       or doom (Christ forewarned us, that they’d come); long with those Televangelists: selling Christ as if he was a piece of fruit.
And so what does the Christian do—he says: “They’re all a pack of liars and
       thieves,”  and throws it away, everything away, over the that cliff, every Belief he ever had, good or bad, along with dedication he once savored in for
       Christ: for what?
For a fast, cheap ride—with no brakes…

#3619 (2-2-2013) Inspired by Pope Benedict XVI & Socrates

Note: Socrates believed in one God (the very reason for his execution), and in the study of the mind (or spirit of man). His basic philosophy was “What is man, and what can he become?” He is perhaps the first philosopher that believed in one God, and for the most part, through his teachings, destroyed for his youthful listeners, the Gods of Olympus. His beliefs were not so unlike Christianity’s, in that he looked at the structure of honor, virtue, morality, patriotism. He lived like a sparrow, fed by those who loved him most.  He was considered the wisest of the Greeks. And he kept faith in his beliefs.   In comparison to Christ, the judges of Socrates wanted to let him go, but the angry crowd voted for his death. Had he not denied the Gods?  One thing is for sure, should a teacher teach someone faster than they can learn, owe to him.