The Best of Intentions

When I stared this blog I didn't realize how much work it would be. I intended on posting every day(the best of intentions). Lately I have been trying to figure out how to post pics. Anyways I found this little story in the church paper a year ago and have had it hanging on my bulletin board. I thought I would share it with you.

"A man fell into a deep pit and couldn't get himself out.

A socially concerned person stood beside the pit and said "I feel for you down there".

A researcher ran experiments that proved it was logical that someone would fall down into the pit sometime.

A mathematician calculated how far the man fell into the pit.

An engineer designed a better, safer pit for future use.

A news reporter announced the tragedy on the evening news.

A psychologist offered therapy to help the man deal with the pit.

A government agency did a study on how future pits could be prevented.

A political activist group protested the existence of pits around the world.

A local church put the man on their prayer list.

A church committee collected blankets to keep the man warm while in the pit.

JESUS, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit."

My immediate reaction to this story was that it exemplified the hypocrisy of modern man but reading it again now I see something different. We can all try ,in our own little way, to help other people who are suffering. It is true that if our neighbor really did fall into a pit we should certainly get him out as soon as possible but I think this parable speaks of more then just the literal. It seems also to refer to the spiritual pits we fall into when we sin. We can pray for our brothers and sisters who are slaves to sin, we can consul and console them, we can try to prevent it from happening again but really only Jesus Christ thru the hands of His priests can reach down and lift the sinner out of the pit. Not to say that there isn't a hint of hypocrisy in this parable, (I mean seriously a group to protest the existence of pits. Sounds just like something the leftists would do.) I just saw this other meaning in it as I was typing it out.