The Economically Advantaged, but Judgment-Impaired, Person
One sunny Palestine afternoon while Jesus was teaching, a difficult-to-please person interrupted him. "Teacher, tell my brother to divide his inheritance with me."
This person made such a demand upon Jesus because he was the chronologically challenged son and, therefore, entitled to one-third of the inheritance. His chronologically advantaged brother had received two-thirds share. What he really wanted was a fifty-fifty division because he was greed-gifted.
... Jesus went on saying, "Be forewarned! Try to eradicate from your life all kinds of ethically disoriented behaviour, especially greed. For one's self-esteem does not consist in the accumulation of capital." Then Jesus told the crowd this parable.
There was once and economically advantaged male person who exploited the earth. Because he used organic farming methods, the land produced abundantly. He thought to himself, "I can't believe I have been so economically empowered. It must be that I am specially abled in horticulture. But there's a problem, I have created a surplus and I don't have enough storage space."
Being cerebrally gifted as well, he soon lit on a solution to his problem. "Eureka! I've got it! I'll bulldoze my barns and build size-enhanced ones, even though it may mean compromising my wetlands and upsetting the ecological balance."
He felt somewhat guilty about destroying the wetlands, but justified the decision by telling himself,"I'll relocate the affected species to a wildlife preservation area." He was deceiving himself becaause he really had no such intention.
His greed became manifest when he said to himself, "I will say to my Eternal Spirit, 'Eternal Spirit, you have accumulated enough surplus to last for years. Enjoy alternative relaxation techniques. Eat, drink, and make merry.'"
The Higher Power, who had been listening in, said, "You are judgment-impaired, and also differently logical. This very night you will become non-living. And the surplus wealth you have accumulated, whose will it be?"
Besides being startled at having his private conversation interrupted by the Higher Power, the economically advantaged person was more than a little emotionally disturbed.
He shook his fist in the direction of the sky and said, "Who are you? Some kind of imperialist oppressor? I've increased my capital in a morally righteous way. I've used organic farming. I was just kidding about destroying the wetlands. I'll acquire more land and build the new barns on it according to EPA standards. Doesn't the Higher Power have a sense of humour?"
The Higher Power answered, "Of course. I created the humyn race, didn't I? But you're still going to be terminally inconvenienced tonight. Everyone has to go sometime."
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Well that was based on... the Rich Fool.
other stories included "The Geographically Dislocated Sheep" (the Lost Sheep)
it was rather disturbing to find though, that a lot of the books in the 'Christian' section of the library were of questionable origin and content. someone ought to get the churches to donate better books.
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