A Parable

"A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and
said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'

The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the
table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy
man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared
to be famished.

They were holding spoons with very long handles, that were strapped to
their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and
take a spoonful.

But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get
the spoons back into their mouths.


The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.'

They went to the next room and opened the door... It was exactly the
same as the first one.

There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made
the holy man's mouth water..

The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the
people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man
said, 'I don't understand.'

It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill.

You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think
only of themselves.'"