The Sacred and the Profane

Once upon a time a talented painter asked God a simple question, “God, why do bad things happen? Is it the Devil? Is it hate? Is it evil?”

And God, who was resting comfortably in the Truth beneath truth spoke quietly and sincerely. “No child, bad things happen because they have to happen. I’ve no more control over all of this than you or your neighbor.”

The young man became confused. “But I thought you created the heavens and the earth. I thought you created the animals, and the seas, and the trees, and the people. Are you not my creator?”

There was quiet for a moment. “You are a painter, correct?”

The young man nodded.

“And when you paint a picture, when you choose to create, do you have control of the picture once the paint is dry on the canvas?”

The young man smiled lightly, “I would have avoided much criticism if I did. But alas, I do not have control over my precious creations.”

There was another pause. “Well I made you in my image.”

Economic Meltdown Hits Mother Nature

The national economic crisis, as if it hadn’t done enough damage, struck yet again last week, this time against Mother Nature herself.

“You know, we thought the good times would never end,” said one Robin who decided against flying south for winter because of a newly signed mortgage for a plush mega-nest in the top of a maple tree on Memphis Street. “I had no idea the interest rates would climb so high and so fast.”

Today, the Robin and his wife were evicted, unable to come up with enough straw to pay the landlord, Mr. Crow.

“There’s no straw. The down economy brought a lot of cold with it and it seems to have dried up the straw supply,” Mr. Robin said, staring despondently into his birdbath perch. “And the worms just don’t seem to be as big and fat as they used to.”