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Parable: A Man Without a Country
There was a man who moved away from his home country. He had mild concerns about the country where he had lived since his childhood but left them largely unspoken as he moved away to explore the rest of the world.
As he moved away and settled into a new hometown in a new country he was exposed to new ideas. Left and right he saw people that were different from him. Some of the things disgusted him, others enlightened him and others were attracting to him.
In this new environment he met new people, made some friends and, inevitably, some enemies. He discovered that some of the things in this new country were so appealing. This made him realize how messed up his home country was.
Soon after this epiphany, he began to write books, blog postings and newspaper editorials deriding his home country. Some word got back to those in the home country via the Google searches of informed and well-read citizens. They scoffed at his negative remarks because they were accustomed to what they were doing and the way they were doing it. Soon there were petitions signed and laws passed that revoked the man’s citizenship in his home country.
Meanwhile, the man, not knowing what had been going on in the home country, continued to live in this new area with the different ideas. Some of these ideas that were attractive at first glance began to grate at him over time. The novelty of this new country had worn off and again he was at odds with the culture he was living in.
Once again, he began to write books, blog posts and newspaper editorials about how much he didn’t like various things in the culture around him. As had occurred previously in the home country, the citizens had a general disdain for this kind of critique and quickly moved to deport this immigrant.
The man was now forcefully deported and on a ship. Not really sure where he was headed but knew of two countries where he wasn’t welcome.
A man without a country, but a man with a cause. When the cause is Christ you have no country, you are a fellow sinner in the quagmire of life. Many of souls have lived like this man, and many have paid a price.
I can not remember the exact quote, but it goes something to the effect of "great minds encounter great resistance. Weak minds require no assistance"
Posted by: Carl Holmes | January 25, 2006 06:22 AM
Thanks for the thoughts, Carl.
Posted by: B.A. | January 25, 2006 08:13 AM