A Parable for Our Times

They asked us to love our neighbors. Now they must love their enemies. 

There once was a head lifeguard on beach by a large ocean. The lifeguard began to hear from others at beaches up and down the coast of mysterious sea creatures that were attacking people in the deep water. Some people got only a small bite or scratch, while others were drug under the water and out to sea, never to be seen again. The creatures seemed to be drawn to large groups of people splashing in the water. Of course, this made the head lifeguard anxious, not only for the people who visited their beach but also for the other lifeguards they were in charge of, and their own family who frequented the shore. As stories of the seemingly random attacks intensified in the lifeguarding circles, different people began sharing techniques that seemed to keep the creatures at bay. Some recommended only using boats to go in the water, others said wetsuits were good protection, and still others found that simply shuffling one’s feet seemed to make the creatures skittish. The lifeguards tested each one of the theories and then shared the results with those at other beaches. At the same time, marine researchers began trying to find something that would repel the deadly creatures for good. And so, the lifeguards did the best they could to minimize the risk to the people at their beach. Unfortunately, some people would come to visit from far away, where they had never heard of the creatures, and refused to believe they existed. For month after month, though, the brave lifeguards at the beach went charging in the water to try to save those they could from the sea creatures and inform those who visited about ways to keep the creatures away. Sadly, the creatures continued to come, avoiding only the very shallowest of water where the children played. And after a while, the people stopped listening to the lifeguards. They figured they had not seen the creatures yet, so maybe they did not even exist. It was probably just those lazy lifeguards trying to make life easy for themselves by getting everyone out of the water, so that they did not have to do anything. People went about their lives splashing in the water, and the lifeguards continued to pull out victims at great hazard to themselves. The head lifeguard worried about the toll this all was taking on the newer lifeguards and the ones in training. Things did not look good.

Then, one day, a miracle happened. The ocean researchers, against all odds, developed a repellant that worked wonderfully at keeping the creatures away. Applying the repellant almost assured the creatures would not attack, and even if they did, they would soon leave the victim alone. The lifeguards rejoiced! They rushed to get the repellant. Maybe now their lives could go back to normal. They would not be in constant worry over their own well-being as well as the people they protected. So, they went about trying to get as many people as possible to use the repellant. Many people took them up on the offer and returned to playing in the ocean as they always had. In fact, for a while it looked like there might be enough people in the ocean playing with repellant on that it might keep the creatures away for good. Together, they were forming kind of barrier to protect the children at the shore line, who the repellant had yet to be tested on. Some people complained about the repellant, though. It was too smelly or made their skin sort of itch or was totally unnecessary. Some thought the creatures were all just made up or really not as bad as the lifeguards (who worked the beach every day) were saying. Some said buying the repellant was just a money-making scheme. Some even accused the lifeguards of not having enough faith in God to protect them from the sea creatures. The lifeguards were so demoralized. Why would people not take one simple step to prevent the attacks? Even one person without repellant may attract a creature into the vicinity of others who might suffer an incidental attack. What about the children playing near the shore who the repellant had not yet been tested on? What if the creatures came nearer to shore to find new victims?

And then, one day, the worst happened. Just when they thought the creatures had been turned back out to sea, news came from beaches that had not been hit as hard before, where repellant had hardly been used, that an even stronger mutant band of creatures were attacking their beaches. Even more disturbingly, the creatures were coming nearer and nearer the shore line where the children played. The creatures were bolder than before and shuffling feet and even the repellant did not work as well against them. At least, though, the repellant seemed to be keeping the worst outcomes from happening. So, the lifeguards rushed to try to get repellant onto as many people as possible, but they were met with jeers and anger from those that did not believe in the creatures or the researchers. They did not listen to the people who had spent years of their lives studying sea creatures. These people began being attacked over and over again—even as they refused to listen to the lifeguards. Sometimes they had their small children right by their side, and they were attacked, too. Once again, the lifeguards ran out into the water—this time to save the very people who opposed them. Sometimes saving people who denied the creatures existed even as they were being attacked. There were hardly even enough lifeguards to try to help all the people under attack. Some lifeguards were walking off the job.  The lifeguard trainees were only learning how to fight the sea creatures off and not learning other important life-saving skills. People were not learning to swim because all the lessons had to be canceled with no one to teach or supervise them. Some people grew weary and did not even want to do the basic prevention strategies of shuffling feet and wearing wet suits anymore. At the end of the day, the head lifeguard would go home despondent about how it all went so wrong. They would gather with their family, well away from the water’s edge, and pray that the people would listen and that together they could drive the creatures away for good. At the very least, help out until the children at the shore line could be protected, too.  When would it all end?

The conclusion of this parable is yet to be written. Together we decide if it is a tale that exemplifies the love of neighbor or one that warns of human self-interest. Sometimes we must set aside our individual rights and even accept some risk for the good of all. Please prayerfully consider how you can help shape the narrative.

P.S. If you do not see us in the water for a while, it’s because I’m married to the head lifeguard.