A parable for Lent. A
man was travelling from Pimlico to Westminster when he fell among muggers, who
beat him and stripped him of his credit cards and left him for dead. It started
to rain.
There came that way a bishop clothed in purple, who, when he saw the man lying on the 5 pavement, said to his chauffeur: “Draw up here, Jenkins, but keep the engine running. I'm already late for the conference on world poverty." He lowered the window just far enough to put out his hand and, making the sign of the Cross, he said: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. Drive on Jenkins." And he passed by on the other side. There came that way a member of the International Marxist Group, who, when he saw the man, said: "I embrace you ‑ metaphorically of course ‑ as a fellow victim of the capitalist system. With any luck you'll die. The heroic struggle of the workers needs a martyr or two."
And he passed by on the
other side.
There came that way a
philosopher from the University of Oxford, who, when he saw the man, said:
“Though it is true that the evidence of my eyes suggests that there is a man
lying on the pavement, it is not a logical step to conclude that because he is
lying on the pavement he is in need of my help. On the contrary, the fact that
he has been immobile for several minutes suggests that he may be beyond any
help I could give even if I decided to give it."
“Even if he is alive
(whatever that may mean) it is by no means certain that he would welcome my
help: he might have chosen to lie on the pavement, in which case he would
regard any action of mine as an unwarranted interference with his free will as
expressed in his decision to lie on pavements." And he passed by on the
other side.
There came that way a
member of the Government, who, when he saw the man, said: 'This is a problem we
inherited when we came to office. We are already taking the most strenuous
measures to deal with it. I think I can say without fear of contradiction that
you will be one of the last people left to die on the pavement." And he
passed by on the other side.
There came that way a
member of the Opposition. When he saw the man he said: "This is a direct
result of the present Government's policies. I give a most solemn promise that
when my party is returned to power people like you will not be allowed to die
on the pavement." And he passed by on the other side.
There came that way the
Headmaster of a nearby public school, who, when he saw the body lying on the
pavement, said to himself: "Oh dear, I hope he's not one of ours."
And he hurried by on the other side.
There came that way a
pop star in his powder‑blue Rolls‑Royce, who, when he saw the man,
called out to him from the moving car saying: "I identify myself with the
oppressed in all the world. I love you man, I love your face, I love the whole
goddam stupid human race." And he drove by on the other side.
Finally, there came that
way a lunatic who had recently escaped from an asylum. He was incapable of
logical thought. He understood no politics, possessed no ideals, performed no
civic duty, held no position in the world, paid no taxes and gave no alms. He
had the mind of a child. His family had secretly hoped that he would not
survive until manhood because they found the burden of his abnormality too hard
to bear.
When he saw the man
lying on the pavement he went up to him and lifted him, body, blood and dust,
and carried him in his arms to the nearest hospital. On his way he passed a bus
queue.
The men and women
standing in the queue, when they saw the lunatic carrying a man in his arms,
set their faces unswervingly towards the oncoming bus. "We're lucky with
the weather," said one, though her
face was filled with rain. "Can't complain, can we?" said another.
The lunatic arrived at
the hospital. He carried his burden into outpatients and laid it on a
table. A doctor examined the man and said: "This man is dead. Who
brought him here?"
"I," said the
lunatic.
"You must be
mad," said the doctor.
And they laid hands on
the lunatic and thrust him into an asylum.
And he said unto them:
"Which of these was the friend to the man who fell among muggers?"
And they replied:
"He who was mad."
And he said unto them:
"Go and be mad for my sake. Your insanity will make you whole."