Modern Day Parables

There seems to be a resurgence in parables today, not the ones in the Bible, but new and modern ones. Many of these parables are philisophical constructs that are meant to be thought provoking rather than truth communicating. A man named Peter Rollins seems to be one of the leading story tellers, and his parables are cloaked in paradox and with a certain attempt to dismantle common Biblical thought. Many of his parables place a priority on human works and are almost void of Christ's redemption and His gospel.

Of course the western mindset is always excited to feast on mystery and cerebral challenges, but that same mindset now seems unattracted to and bored with Christ and His cross and resurrection. "We've heard that story, let's move on," seems to be the unspoken attitude. Well I have been led to from time to time present some parables of my own. Here is the first, which is generally in response to this one from Rollins.

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The Deception of Good

In a land called Darkness, and at the entrance to a certain bridge called Redemption, there were five people who were suffering from AIDs, and adding to their discomfort they had not eaten in a week. But like an angel from heaven, one man decided to help these five poor people. He brought them nourishing food, he helped them bathe, and he brought them medicine to ease their pain.

Now as this man helped these five people, buses loaded with people kept passing by and crossing the bridge to a land called Eternal Life. Many buses stopped and asked the man if he desired those five people to get on the bus and cross the bridge. They told him that many people like the ones he was caring for were being cared for on the other side of the bridge. They warned him that it was widely believed that the bridge would soon be taken down, and that anyone left on this side would die, which would seem to ultimately countermand all his valiant efforts to help these people.

The man refused and said he wanted to continue to help these five people, after all they were very grateful for his help. Bus load after bus load passed them by and crossed the bridge. Finally God sent an angel to this man to show him where God had already asked everyone to cross the bridge. After listening to this angel read several parts of God’s Word that made it clear that God wanted everyone to cross the bridge that led to safety, the angel asked him one last time:

“Will you and the five others now leave Darkness, cross on Redemption, and go to Eternal Life? You can bring all your food and medicine with you.”

The man, still feeding those five people, answered,

“You do not understand, go back and tell God we are building our own bridge, and in fact, we already live in the land called Eternal Life.”

The angel shook his head in disbelief, astounded at such deception. The angel returned to God. God informed the angel that he had seen and heard all that this man had said and done. God looked at the angel and said sadly,

"Who would have thought that good has become a great deception?"