The Moral Vision
Doing One’s Bit
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cook a meal. When it was nearly ready, they threw
a handful of chillies into the hot oil to season it.
Such a spicy aroma rose up into the air that the man
in the tree sneezed. Only then did the travellers
learn of his presence, whereupon they invited him
to share what they had cooked.
The man happily went back home and said to his
friends the next morning, “What you said was quite
true. But you hadn’t told me the whole story. Of
course, God does provide you with food. It’s just
that you have to sneeze and come down a tree to
get it!”
Although humorous in tone, this little anecdote is
serious in intent. It is, in fact, a parable which
underscores the notion that God helps those who
help themselves. And although man’s role is a very
minor one, it is nevertheless a very necessary one. A
man must prove his worth to have his due share of
God’s gifts. We must never, therefore, neglect to
make ourselves deserving of God’s nourishment.
