Two thousand years ago, a Chinese philosopher told this story:
A man who lived on the northern frontier of China was skilled in interpreting events. One day, for no reason, his horse ran away to the nomads across the border. Everyone tried to console him, but his father said, “What makes you so sure this isn’t a blessing?” Some months later his horse returned, bringing a splendid nomad stallion. Everyone congratulated him, but his father said, “What makes you so sure this isn’t a disaster?” Their household was richer by a fine horse, which his son loved to ride. One day he fell and broke his hip. Everyone tried to console him, but his father said, “What makes you so sure this isn’t a blessing?”
A year later the nomads came in force across the border, and every able-bodied man took his bow and went into battle. The Chinese frontiersmen lost nine of every ten men. Only because the son was lame did the father and son survive to take care of each other. Truly, blessing turns to disaster, and disaster to blessing: the changes have no end, nor can the mystery be fathomed.
Three thousand years ago, a king in Israel wrote this:
No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, humans cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he really doesn’t. (Ecc. 8.17)
And today, billions of people still don’t know. It doesn’t matter in what era of history you exist, where in the world you live, or how important to society you are; life often doesn’t make sense. If we are to live well, we must learn to take the pieces of life as they come—one by one, and without instructions. It helps to remember that we are only creatures walking around inside Someone else’s creation. Sometimes we understand what He’s doing. Sometimes we don’t.
Photo by Justin D. Henry. Translation of Chinese by Moss Roberts, Chinese Fairy Tales and Fantasies, Pantheon Books, 1979.
Sun, Nov 16, 2008
Devotion