May
22
2014
A Modern Parable
Posted in Family Life 4 Comments
One day she decided that she didn’t like the placement of her eye.
An eye can be an eye anywhere, she thought.
How convenient if one eye was on the side of my head.
She purposed to find someone who could move the eye for her.
Many others felt that the eye was perfect where it was.
God designed it that way, they said over and over.
The woman who wanted her eye moved found others who wanted their eye moved.
They banded together, with loud voices, and relentlessly tried to change people’s minds.
They laid out all the reasons why an eye on the side of the head was a better way.
We should have the freedom to have our eye wherever we want it.
After a while, the people who thought the eye should remain, started to change their mind.
We think the eye should stay where it is, but who are we to decide for other people?
The move-the-eye people found a doctor that would perform the operation.
Once one doctor was found, other doctors hopped on the bandwagon.
After a while, the doctors who refused to go along were mocked and threatened.
You are standing in the way of our personal happiness and freedom.
The pressure was too great.
Either the doctors had to acquiesce or give up their practice altogether.
Most people believed that the eye should remain in its God-designed place.
Despite feeling that way, they never talked about it; they were so afraid.
Even though the doctor took a Hippocratic oath, he violated it in order to go along.
…I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone...
It’s not really doing harm, the doctor rationalized.
I’m being progressive; that oath was written years ago.
So he operated on the woman who wanted her eye moved to the side of her head.
But now, what was he to do with her ear?
Her ear had to be moved to another place, as well.
Perhaps on her back, he thought, then she can hear what is coming up behind her.
So he set out to perform another surgery.
Another surgery that changed God’s order.
No one wanted to say anything to those who moved their eye to the side of their head.
No one wanted to say anything to those who moved their ear to their back.
I would never do this, many thought.
But who am I to legislate that it can’t be done?
In reality, the changes looked grotesque.
Yet, no one said anything.
They walked around with their heads down, looking at their phones.
They walked around with their ears blocked, listening to music through their headphones.
They didn’t even notice the people walking around with eyes and ears in different places.
They didn’t even notice.
After a while, people realized that they could not see.
After a while, people realized that they could not hear.
After a while, the futility of what they did was apparent.
It was a social experiment that failed.
Even though many knew of the failure in their heart, they felt powerless to do anything.
Until one little boy came along.
This is not good, he said emphatically.
Everyone gasped.
No one was supposed to disagree.
Never disagree.
I can see all the wonderful sights.
I can hear all the wonderful sounds.
God made me with two eyes here, he said pointing, and two ears there.
God made me this way.
The people had forgotten.
The people never considered God.
The people became their own gods.
In the process, the beautiful became ugly.
It was not good.
As if awakened from a bad dream, the people started to stir.
They looked around and saw how much things had changed.
They were unrecognizable.
Nothing was balanced; nothing was symmetrical.
They went along.
They altered.
They redefined.
They mocked God.
All it took was the one little boy’s voice.
This is not good.
This is not the way it’s supposed to be.
One little voice.
Soon, people began to see the fruit of their experiment.
Seeing and hearing were reduced.
Fear abounded.
Everyone took sides and was divided.
The little boy stood there with his family.
They all had two eyes here and two ears there.
They saw well; they heard well.
Just the way God intended.
One voice for change.
One voice with the courage to say, This is not good.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:26-28,31)
One eye here.
One ear there.
It was very good.
Dear Gina,
Powerfully clear. Maybe simplicity is a weapon that can shake the soul.
Amen, Michelle.
I pray that is indeed true!
Gina
Great article! Why do people think they know better than God? This is a mixed-up world for sure! I really think God will stop blessing this country if we don’t ‘wise up’.
Sue,
You are so right. God is sovereign. He will not share His rightful place on His Throne with anyone…especially us! We need courage, boldness and a voice to say, “This is not good.”
Gina