Can't Be Spiritual Children Forever

Spiritual Short Stories about the Community

There’s a story about a young boy, or girl it doesn’t matter, who had an older brother who always protected him because he loved him more than his own life. He started teaching him how to fend for himself, but the young boy thought to himself, my big brother will always protect me so why should I learn?

Of course, in his maturity, the older brother knew what he was thinking. So because he loved him so much, he devised a plan to help him understand that, though he would never leave him nor would his father, it was necessary for him to mature to take his place in the world.

He said to his little brother one day, “To prove your love for Dad, you need to show him that you have learned what I taught you and can love your enemies just as he does. So first, put on this blindfold and I’ll bring different people into the room. You listen to what they say and tell Dad which ones are enemies and show your love for them in your heart. He will be able to see into your heart since he will be sitting over there in the corner.”

Little brother put on the blindfold and waited. Dad came into the room and kissed him, then sat in the corner. Big brother had an amazing talent for changing his voice,¹ so he didn’t bring anyone into the room but just pretended to be someone else each time.

In the first voice, he said to him, “You’re worthless. You’ll never be able to love your enemies as your dad told you to, so just say it’s too hard but that you pray for them and forgive them.” Little brother thought this one was definitely an enemy by belittling him, but at the same time he was right, he didn’t know how to love his enemies.

“Dad, this one is an enemy because he belittled me. But he is right, I do not know how to love him. Forgive me, Dad, but all I can do is pray for him and forgive him.” His dad was silent.

Big brother changed his voice and said to him, “You’re doing fine. Your dad doesn’t expect you to do anything without your older brother, so just stay as you are. Praying for your enemies and forgiving them is all your dad will ever expect from you.” Little brother thought that this one was definitely not an enemy.

“Dad, this one is not an enemy. I trust him and love him just like my brother.” Again, his dad was silent.

Big brother changed his voice one last time, but before he could speak, someone else came into the room and started speaking to little brother. “That is not your father in the corner, I am your father. Your older brother left the room right after explaining things to you. But he came back in with me and is standing next to me. There is someone posing as your brother outside.” Little brother thought for a moment and was confused.

“You are thinking too much. Just listen to me and I will tell you who to trust and who not to. Set aside this whole idea of loving your enemies and know that those who do not believe exactly what your older brother tells them are the ones destroying everything.” Little brother started picturing ugly things about such people and frightened himself for a moment. Then, he worked himself into a childish rage thinking how Dad and his older brother would never leave him.

“Dad, the stranger in the corner is my enemy, along with the one posing as my brother outside. As you said not to worry about loving my enemies, I am starting to hate them both. Is that alright? To think that they were lying to me. I am so angry.”

Big brother took the blindfold off him. He saw his dad in the corner and his brother standing in the room by himself. No one else.

“Little brother, I changed my voice twice and acted like I was the first two talking to you. And to my delight, Dad changed his appearance and voice² and was the third person speaking to you.”

Dad said to little brother, “Are you ready to let your brother teach you how to fend for yourself? How to use the greatest tool of love, not to hurt your enemies but see them in their blindness, so that you can protect yourself and love them for who they really are—your brothers and sisters and my sons and daughters also.”

Big brother said to him, “Maturing is about learning how to see everyone with the vision of your mind. Only with such vision can you see the light of love talking to you in everyone and those who do not see it in themselves. They are listening to it but, in some cases, think it is telling them to stay blind and walk by faith forever. Never to walk with me in the light. Blindness is the ultimate enemy, sometimes the only enemy.”

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1. In Luke 24:13-35, Jesus (Word) changed his voice and appearance to test his disciples. Asking them what was going on in Jerusalem after his resurrection, he was testing them to see how much they really believed in what he taught them.

2. Psalm 18:26 literally reads, “With the crooked, You (God or Name) show Yourself twisted.” We do not have to be crooked for God to change His appearance in order to teach us something. If God does not change His appearance, Jesus would never have done so himself (see footnote 1). For he said in John 5:19 that he can do nothing unless he sees his Father do it first.