Don’t kill divine gift
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Editor,
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away there lived a man who by divine intervention possessed a magical goose that laid golden eggs. By all appearances this goose was of no higher quality than the other geese of the gaggle. Yet it had been hatched with ability unmatched in the world of feathers and fur.
Certainly it is reasonable to assume that this unique gift was a financial blessing to the fowl keeper. His prosperity became the envy of his friends and eventually was noticed by the world.
In the beginning the owner of the goose knew that he was divinely blessed, so in keeping with the gratitude of good fortune, he generously shared his wealth with friends and neighbors. The goose kept producing, and the man’s fame increased. The demand for his largess grew with his stature. As his benevolence grew, so did his personal assessment. People idolized him and became totally dependent on his ability to meet their needs without any effort on their own behalf. They saw the man as kind of a god who could do no wrong. The man responded to them with his visions of fortune for all and thus assuming his position as the chief visionary and perfecter of the faith. Yes, he replied to every request. Yes. Yes. Yes.
In his quest for personal glory the man forgot the truth— the power of his gift. The goose was aging. As with all mortal things the end was rapidly approaching.
The man, of course, refused to see these things. He doubled his efforts to be the good guy. Open the gates, redistribute the goods, borrow from the neighbors — anything to maintain his position as the idol to be envied. He refused to acknowledge that he was not a kind of god, and decided if the goose could not produce gold fast enough, he would kill it and take forever what gold remained.
Even a child knows, by killing the goose, you kill the divine gift. Why do you suppose this lesson is lost on adults?
Joseph Brooks
Ronan
