The Survivor
Sunday, 08 November 2020
The following parable is a figment of my imagination, and it carries a message that many will not understand; out of those who understand, many will not want to heed. This post is for those who want to understand and heed:
The ship was destroyed at sea but a lone survivor miraculously swam to the shore of an island, where he found refuge. The island was blessed with abundance and the survivor was able to gather sufficient fresh fruit and nuts to satiate himself. There was one disadvantage, though. The island was dominated by the three brothers of the Canis family.
The Canis family was full of strife and bickering. The eldest brother, Canis Lupus, usurped the throne and terrified his two younger brothers. The younger twin brothers, Canis Familarus Moderari and Canis Familiarus Ductus, neither of whom had the power own their own to overcome Lupus, joined together and plotted a coordinated attack against Lupus. Familarus Moderari pounced on Lupus's throat while Familiarus Ductus dug his jaws into Lupus's thigh. Lupus was no match for his two younger brothers, although he fought with the fierceness of a wolf. Badly defeated and sorely injured, Lupus escaped their death-lock and retreated into the forest, still alive and living on hopes of revenge.
All over the island, Familarus followers rejoiced, ushering in what they thought was a new age with the downfall of the iron-fisted Lupus. Moderari, the older of the Canis Familarus twins became the leader, designating a ministerial position for his half-hour younger twin, Ductus. Ductus didn't mind being a minister just as long as Moderari would implement his policies, many of which negated the statutes of the Great Book.
Many of the birds, animals and reptiles on the island were Lupus supporters. They came together in loyal support of their dethroned leader and in the meanwhile invented a theory that eventually became a blood libel, all based on circumstantial evidence and half-truths. They told their dethroned leader, "King Lupus, did you ever notice that your downfall occurred right after the shipwrecked survivor came to the island?" Lupus nodded in the affirmative; the accusation solidified into fact in his mind.
Meanwhile, back in the palace, a war was brewing between Moderari and Ductus. Ductus, with much power on the island especially among the Hominoids, organized demonstrations against the Moderari regime, which often led to violence, arson and looting. Strangely enough, both Moderari and Ductus supporters blamed the ills of the regime on the Survivor, just like the supporters of Lupus did.
The Survivor, unable to maintain a moment's peace of mind, was belittled, vandalized and attacked by extremists of all sides. He was the sole blame for all the island's ills, so they all thought. The Survivor yelled out in prayer to the Great Spirit (see Psalm 139:5) , "I am pursued both sides, please help me!"
The Great Spirit had mercy and compassion on the Survivor, who had endured many stormy seas. He sent the Survivor a rescue ship, shaped like the wing of an eagle. The captain of the ship sent six sailors ashore to rescue the Survivor, bring him aboard, and take him back with them to Terra Promissa, their home country.
Survivor refused. "Here I have bananas, coconuts and papaya, all I want. I have a lovely bamboo shack right on the seashore. I eat fresh sea bass for Shabbat. How shall I make a living in Terra Promissa?"
The six sailors did everything they could to convince the Survivor. "You can't stay here. There is no future here for you have no true friends - the armed Lupus followers are against you and so are the Familarus clan, especially the violent Ductus ones. This island belongs to them and not to you. Let them fight amongst themselves but you must escape, quickly, while you still can, for you will always be the scapegoat here, no matter who is in power. The Great Spirit wants you to come home, and Terra Promissa is the home of your ancestors and your homeland as well. There, the Great Spirit personally tends to all our needs, especially those of us adhere to the Great Book."
Will the Survivor listen to the six angels? Will he trust in them and get on the boat to Terra Promissa? Only you know how the story ends and we certainly hope it's a happy one.