Suffer a post without pictures I pray you,
Hear me out for a parable or two . . .

Once upon a time in a remote place was a little village.

The school of the town was a mere one-room schoolhouse, but it had an incredible aptitude for fostering the participation of all sorts of people. Represented were many ages, races and financial backgrounds.

The schoolmaster was not old but he was not young either. He loved for his lessons to touch on all the different topics of academia and as all his listeners knew, he did not specialize in speculation, but sought what was so.

The pupils attended–some regularly and some less regularly–of their own free will. It was a volunteer school, set up purely for the education of those who “had an ear to hear” and a few spare moments between their labors each day. Many a debate transpired but all in good taste. There was more listening than there was talking overall, and the villagers were not apt take things personally. Many a laugh broke out and sometimes a tear or two. Of course it was the womenfolk who talked the most but it made things a good deal more interesting. If the day drew long on a single topic there was sure to be cited the old proverb: “In all labor there is profit, but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury” and the evening hours would find them again with their families at supper time.

Then came news from far away: there had been a fire! . . . of unimaginable proportions! It had done damage to a great city and its recovery was to take many years.

Now you must understand, the townspeople became naturally concerned when they heard the report. And they spoke often one to another, for they were of a mind to believe that nothing happens by pure accident. But none was more concerned than the schoolmaster. With remorse he realized his lessons oft had failed to address a potential danger, a danger for the villagers and for their children in particular. And so with care he began to plan a new lesson. He re-evaluated his most basic assumptions. Yet he held to common sense. He weighed how the lesson would come across and most of all he tried to make the lesson easy to understand—Oh! and yes, applicable.

The townspeople were anxious to hear it for their imaginations had been stirred. Rumors of every nature were heard. They ranged from “No doubt this whole thing is another fantasy from the inflamed imagination of those excitable city-slickers” to “If such a thing can happen, we certainly must make a law at once to outlaw every type of fire in the country!”

But the teacher smiled in the midst of it all and taught with conviction what was true:

1. There are differences between a fire allowed within bounds and the fire which spreads beyond.

2. It is not what is said or thought of the fire but how we choose to handle it ourselves that will determine whether it bring us bane or blessing.

The elderly went back to their hearthside with care.

The young returned with marked caution.

But others . . . for one reason or another became enraged and said: “Surely he meant not to talk about fire. Surely he meant to say fireworks—or something of that nature. What harm can a fire do? I mean really. Who does the teacher think he is? He has not even graduated from the University of Volatilization. He did not address combustion, or even spontaneous combustion–and it’s interplay with the grand market forces of our economy. What would he know of the intricacies of chemistry as taught in the city schools! He must himself be afraid of the fire! We ought not to be so concerned.”

Thus they went to the townspeople again and with many a high-sounding word, told the people to relax and to be as before, lest they be thought of as cowards. And last of all their slogan was: “Tolerance”—

“Forget the dangers of yesterday, you! Now it’s what others think of you of which you must beware! Even if there are some dangers involved, think twice: Surely we will offend the talented folks who play with their firesticks for fun! What is it to you if they injure themselves? They can do what they please here or there . . . or anywhere . . . after all they have rights, do they not? . . . and fire isn’t bad. Above all, toleration! Keep your rules to yourself. We were fine before and surely we will always be fine. Whatever it means, our ultimate aim is to accommodate and to tolerate.”

The people then had a choice to make. Each one for his own house.

Tell me now, if it occurs to thee!
What will the future of this people be?