THE PARABLE OF THE VALLEY

 A woman said, “The gospel of Jesus is to believe in his name.  Then you will be saved.”

 The Gadfly said, “This was not the gospel of Jesus.  It is the gospel of the church.” 

 The woman asked, “What is the gospel of Jesus?” 

 The Gadfly answered, “The gospel of Jesus is that the complete fulfillment of your faith is to love your neighbor as yourself.” 

 A man said, “If you were a true Christian you would know that your first duty is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind.” 

 The Gadfly replied, “To love your neighbor is to love God.  This is to worship God in spirit and truth.”   

The man said, “I go to church every Sunday.  I have not seen you there.  And you are telling me what worship is?  Are you saying that my worship and praise of God in the church service are not real?” 

 The Gadfly said, “If you visit a lush and fertile valley, you could walk through its dewy meadows and listen to a running stream.  And you could let the grace of nature bless your eyes with the sight of glorious mountains stretching unto the horizon.  In all this you might wish to sing a song of praise for such beauty.  If you did sing such a song, it would be a real and meaningful experience.  But you would still be just a visitor, and your song would be the song of a tourist.  For you would be a stranger in that land until you drink of its waters and sustain yourself by its fruit.”