I read many years ago of a tale from Mesopotamia about an old woman who spoke about Heaven and Hell. It is a different sort of story like no other. It goes a little like this:
“There was an old woman walking a city street one late evening. She was carrying a flaming torch in one hand and a bucket of water in the other.
“When people stopped to ask her what she was doing, she quickly replied:
“With this torch, I am going to set fire to Heaven’s mansions;
“And with this water, I am going to extinguish the flames of hell.
“But why would you want to destroy both paradise and hell?
“Her reply ~ I’d like to see who really ‘loves’ God.“
By removing both the reward and punishment, she believed people would want to truly love and serve God, for God’s sake alone.
As I thought about this story, I wondered about the question of this worshiper.
Is there really a loving personal relationship, then, with God, or is the mansion in heaven or fire in hell a determining factor for one’s choice in faith?
“If one was in the presence of a loving God, would they really need a mansion in the first place?” the old woman suggested.
It matters not, what house you live or material things in heaven, she was thinking, if ‘love remains’, a mansion is not necessary.
Religion is really a personal matter between individuals and their faith. The different church denominations of Christianity, and various other beliefs around the world, are not united in one simple way.
Even though all humans drink the same water from nature’s blessings, there are significant differences in beliefs and conflicts around the world.
Everyone has a belief. Some believe strictly in science, some in nothing at all; yet others believe in certain words ‘inspired by God’, passed down through centuries of man’s writings about creation and an afterlife.
Few people around the globe agree on much when it comes to religion and beliefs. Even different denominations of Christian churches on nearby street corners disagree on many religious tenets and have chosen to part ways and split because of theological interpretation and issues.
Many good lessons are written in regard to feeding the hungry, helping the poor, visiting the sick, speaking the truth, showing compassion and being a good example of humanity.
But how do you richly feed the poor when you build million-dollar temples?
Are bricks and stones more valuable than bread and soup to the hungry?
A ‘Golden Rule’ embraced by Christianity is for certain a positive approach to life. It reminds one ~ “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” That approach would certainly be of some benefit to a troubled world.
And another fine parable, might be the story of the Good Samaritan:
“Once there was a man robbed, beaten, and left for dead on the road to Jericho. Both a Priest and Levite passed by without helping him.
However, a good Samaritan, despite animosity between Samaritans and Jews at the time, showed compassion. The Samaritan tended the injured man’s wounds, took him to an inn, paid for his care, and promised to cover any additional costs.
This question was then asked by Jesus to a lawyer, “which of the three was a neighbor to the injured man?“
The lawyer identified the one who showed mercy, and Jesus told him to “Go and do likewise.”
This lesson shows best that a neighbor is not limited to those who are similar or live nearby, but is “anyone” in need.
There are, for certain, some good lessons to be had as we walk down this road of life, and some are full of broken virtues which have disappeared over the centuries.
I like a few other closing thoughts on kindness:
Mark Twain reminded us that “kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
Aesop in his story of the lion and mouse, emphasizes to all who will listen, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
And the Dalai Lama offered another ~ “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible!”
‘To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.’
Amen.
