Voice From the Womb
A Parable of the Human Race
There once was a virtuous woman who had many children, whom one day decided to raft the gentle section of a famous river known for its dangerous rapids and a devastating waterfall at the end. As long as they obeyed the rule and pulled ashore before the dangerous sections started, they would be safe. There also was a man from the same area who secretly hated the woman and her children, but who would be kind to their faces.
As the children finished their rafting and started to pull to shore, the man called to them with enticing words, promising them floating coolers of beer and wine and good foods, if only they would keep on down the river for a while. They hesitated, but then a few said, “Sure, why not? That sounds like fun”.
When the woman found out that the children had continued down the river, she became very worried and hurried to a position on the river bank in order to hail them and call them to safety. She mentioned grave warnings if they continued on their way. However, the children were enjoying their new “freedom” and replied they would pull ashore later.
Soon the children began to hear the thunderous roar of approaching rapids. Being too late to maneuver the raft to shore, they huddled together and braced for the rough action ahead. The raft begin tumbling out of control, and a child was washed overboard. The raft continued on its way and when they reached calmer waters, one girl said that mother had been right in her predictions, and they should pull ashore immediately. Others said that it was only a coincidence between what mother said and the deadly rapids, and besides, the nice man on the other bank said that better drinks and food were floating ahead waiting for them. So the raft continued downstream.
Again the anxious mother positioned herself on a prominent part of the riverbank, and warned the children that if they do not pull ashore, they will encounter even worse rapids ahead. As the raft rounded a bend in the river, the children did indeed encounter much worse rapids, and as a result 3 children were washed overboard. The same anguish and arguments that ensued after the first disaster were repeated. The remaining children were more sober, but some were still reluctant to give up the freedom and exhilaration of the ride. The mother cried out that this was their last chance to save themselves. Some definitely wanted to pull ashore, but others were intent on going forward.
As they rounded another bend they saw the warning signs of the approaching waterfall and heard a growing thunderous roar. All of the children now realized what a tragic mistake they had made in their decisions. One boy, realizing it was too late to pull ashore with all the weight and momentum of the raft, decided to jump out and try to direct the raft to the shore as he swam, with the help of those onboard frantically manning the oars. He figured that if he was lost in the effort, at least the others could be saved so that all might not be lost.
The anxious mother cried out and watched as the children tried to avoid the final disaster. The man on the other bank watched with glee the unfolding event. Who will have the last laugh at the finish?