My child, let me tell you a parable of the ways of being. Not to long ago, a young man fell into a deep sleep. He was awaken by a man dressed in armored clothing with a sword at his hip and shield in his hand. The man was old with many scares of battle. He told the boy to arise and follow him. They walked out into the night into the great darkness. After many hours of walking, the young man asked where they were going.
"To the great circle of ways of being," replied the ancient warrior.
"What is the great circle," asked the young man?
"It is the entrance to the paths that will lead you back home." said the ancient warrior.
"Why can't I go back the way I came?"
"The way is shut. All men must journey the paths to find the great tree."
As they continued on the path the boy noticed more and more people were with him. All having their own guides. The warrior stopped and told the boy to continue over the hill that he must return for others. The boy obeyed and walked up the hill and over the crest. As he journeyed, he saw many who were scared and ran back to the darkness but most pressed forward.
When he arrived at the top of the hill he saw seas of people all moving this way and that in a great field. On the outer edge of the field appeared to be gates which lead to paths stretching to different lands. He noticed to his right a land filled with excitement and fun, to his left a land filled with riches, and straight ahead foothills and then mountains leading to the great unknown.
As he approached the great field, a man sat meditating.
"What is this place," asked the young man?
"This is the place were all men must choose to become what they will become," replied the sitting man. "You must choose a path."
The young man walked around the edge of the circle trying to look down each path. All sorts of attempts were used to lore the boy down a path but the boy kept searching. He noticed a gatekeeper giving clothing to those who wanted to identify themselves with that path. In the area where the paths lead to riches, he noticed fine clothing with much jewelry; similarly, the paths that lead to fun and excitement contained clothing needed for that type of an adventure.
The young man decided that the path of excitement and fun was for him. He spent years walking the paths of excitement enjoying the different adventures. After exploring many paths, the boy found himself bored. The paths seemed to be very shallow and repetitive. He searched for more exciting path. The more exciting the path the more dangerous the road. At time he almost fell off into the darkness, where no one returns. On one occasion, he was almost lost to the great darkness but was saved by a fellow traveler.
The fellow traveler wore the armor of the ancient warrior and told the boy of the path. He encouraged him to leave these ways and find the path the would lead him home.
The young man thought about these paths he journeyed. They had all bored him. He was unhappy with the man he was becoming. He was shallow. His life revolved around him and having fun. There was nothing of substance.
The young man decided to go back to the field and find a different way. There he searched again looking at the different paths. A little older and a little wisher, he decided to spend is time journeying the path of riches. He clothed himself in fine clothing and began his journey. As he enter the path, he noticed that it was broad and many entered at the gate. But over time, the path became narrower and narrower. Those who were not cleaver fell off into the darkness.
While walking the path, he met a woman returning back to the field.
He asked, "why do you return back from this path?"
She replied, "only one can make it to the end of this path. And I'm not going to be that one."
"What do you mean?" inquired the young man.
"See boy, this path is the path of riches. All those who walk it seek the same objective - to have more than all others. The farther you walk the path the narrower the way. Those who make it the farthermost are those who are willing to push others off into the darkness" she taught.
The young man noticed he was cleaver to avoid the traps set by other travelers. He showed great promise. He journeyed far while never pushing another off into the darkness. However, far into the reaches of this way, the path became even difficult for him. He watched as his fellow travelers would use any means to make it one more step.
Then came the moment, while high on a ledge his fellow traveler slipped and reached out for the young man to save him. The young man hesitated questioning whether or not he should help. He watched as his fellow traveler fell into the darkness never to return.
"You did the right thing, you know" said another traveler. "You would have had to push him off someday."
The young man stopped and sat on the way. He began to weep. What type of person had he become a person who would let another be lost so he could be above them all. He decided to turn back to the field.
After a long journey back, the young man stood in the field. Overcome by regret he decided to turn back and go into the darkness and lose himself. He stopped in the field and got down on his knees he said a prayer and asked for help to guide him. As he walked back to the entrance of the field, over the hill, and back to his home. He met the ancient warrior.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"I'm trying to return home", the young man replied.
"This way does not lead to your home, you must keep pressing forward. Seek ye the gatekeeper who has walked all paths. He knows the way.”
He returned to the field. This time he took a piece of paper and pen and questioned all the the gatekeepers but to his utter despair there were too many. He started to question those in the throng. A simple question none seemed to be sure of the right answer.
"Where is the gatekeeper who has traveled all paths?" he asked.
As he spoke with many fellow travelers, he came across many different opinions. Most did not care what path they followed, many followed family and friends, some claimed their path was the true path, but one old man pointed to a path that he regretted he never went down.
"Why do most not know of the path?" asked the young man.
"Because it is only open to those who seek it." replied the old man.
As he approached a small gate almost hidden on the edge of the circle. He noticed a lot of commotion. Many were mocking those entering the gate. Some holding people back from entering.
The young man approached the gatekeeper. He looked upon the man and did not notice anything desirable about him or his gate. The gatekeeper smiled and called him by name and said, "what seek ye?"
"I seek the gatekeeper who has walked all paths and knows all ways", said the young man.
"I am he." said the gatekeeper.
"Why is the gate so small?" replied the young man.
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way; which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. - the Gatekeeper said. "Come, enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:"
"You must wear the armor to walk this path. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness" (Ephesians 6:12). "Take unto you the whole armor that ye may be able to withstand the day" (Ephesians 6:13). Hold to the rod and it will lead you to the tree."
The young man was disappointed about this choice. There was nothing grand about entering this path. The clothes were different and the path looked difficult. The boy looked again at the gatekeeper and the path. While intellectually he did not understand why he should walk this path, he trusted in those who had walked it.
“I will go and do what you have asked gatekeeper.”
The young man entered the path. He walked many days. He held tight to the rod and never left it. He wore his armor day and night. When the rulers of the darkness came, he fought them and withstood their blows.
One day, far in a valley he notice the path wondered close to a path he had walked before and his friends who he had left many years before still walked it. His friends saw him afar off and bid him to join them in their fun. The young man declined and they began to mock him. He continued on his path but the mocking affected him. He wanted to return back to easier paths. He was about to turn when a fellow traveler stopped him.
"Why do you wish to return," asked the fellow traveler.
"This path seems too difficult and I had so much fun on that path," replied the young man.
"Then why did you not stay on that path," inquired the fellow traveler?
"I do not remember. It has been a long time now but look at my friends and they seem so happy and we seem so tired," the young man said.
"We humans have limitations to our ability to perceive reality. We assume by seeing outward expression of joy that the same joy is found deep in the soul. When I traveled different paths, I found that my joy was limited to times of excitement. When the time ended, so did the joy and I needed something more to feel the same excitement. Like a drug, my life depended on a experience instead of an inward contentment with reality." replied the fellow traveler. "Do you feel content in your heart now young man?"
"Yes."
"Did you feel that same content in your heart when you walked different paths?"
"No, I needed some event to pull me out of my miserable reality."
"Do you feel the joy of life?"
"What is the joy of life,” asked the young man?
"The joy of life is the fruit of the tree which you seek. Do you still desire to find the tree?"
"Yes, for I know that those paths lead to no tree but only to the darkness" said the young man as he watched his friends walk out of his view.
The young man took the fellow traveler by the hand and continued on his journey. He was renewed with an energy to find the tree. And when times of difficulty came, he offered help to those around him.
Then one day, after much tribulation, he found the tree with all of its glory. He walked to it and partook of its fruit and he was filled with the happiness he had sought for so many years. The joy filled his heart that he desired all to partake of the fruit and experience the joy that is found with it. He turned back down the path to the field. He spoke to many and showed them the way. The way that all men must be to find the eternal joy and happiness.
