Jasper and Miles rescue their family!

Thursday, November 16, 2023

(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)

Jasper and Miles rescue their family!

Yesterday I surprised myself when I thought much more than I expected about the snails we buried. Their little white shells kept coming back to mind. I saw them on their tree and on the ground, and in my hand when I handed them to Jasper, one at a time, for their burial.

Like they had something more to say to me.

Margaret pointed out that our bodies also are simple shells by the time we’re buried. My soul has left the building. My friends might weep at the sight of my lifeless body, but I can only imagine the joy I feel looking down on all of it.

There is me, and then there is … me. There was the snail, and then there was the shell of the snail, I don’t know if the snail has a soul. Maybe not. Or maybe so. I don’t need to know.

The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, “Look, here it is.” For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.

Margaret has discovered the joy of children’s picture books without words. Jasper told me a story the other day, after the book’s pictures told him.

Once upon a time, a prehistoric family lived in a cave, and they had a fire to stay warm and perhaps to cook on, but they did not realize the fire could go out, and one day it did go out. They couldn’t believe it. The men and women and children and animals stood stock still around the dead fire, and they felt the cold, and they wondered what to do. At last they realized they must find fire again. But who would go out into the cold? Where would they find fire?

Soon a courageous young son said he would go. He swam across the river, through the raging torrent. He ran over hills and dales through howling winds, carrying his walking stick, holding his furs as close as he could.  Hungry wild animals chased him into the night, and he had no fire to scare them away. He climbed a tree, where he fell asleep as the moon rose, and fell again.

In the morning the lions and tigers and bears were gone. He slid down the tree but fell and hurt his ankle. Oh, no! He crawled out of the woods and across the meadow to a big rock, where he sat stock still. What could he do?

The boy’s ears weren’t hurt, and he heard an animal cry. Was he crying for help? He pushed through a patch of brush and saw a little elephant guy, and he was caught in quicksand, and he was going down!

We decided the boy’s name must be Jasper, and he was four years old, and the elephant must be named Miles, and he was seven. Jasper limped up to the edge of the thick mud and pushed his walking stick out to Miles, and Miles wrapped his baby trunk around the stick. The boy pulled with all his might. He forgot that he had hurt his foot. Somehow he pulled the elephant out of the mud.

They sat and looked at each other. Jasper smiled. Miles sniffed at the boy’s sore ankle. Then he knelt down so the boy could ride, and off they went together as the clouds grew black and lightning and thunder shook the ground.

Lightning? Jasper saw smoke rising from the trees, not so far away. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Miles and Jasper were very excited. They raced down to where they saw the smoke and found a dying ember in a dead tree branch. Jasper scrambled to get some grass and bundled it up, and put it on the ember, and blew. He blew some more. And he blew some more.

And then … he jumped up into the air,  because the tree branch had burst into a giant fire. He made a torch out of more grass and Miles and Jasper set out for home. When it grew dark the hungry animals returned, but this time the fire scared them off. They made a bigger fire so they could stay warm and sleep. They walked and walked, always being sure to keep their torch fire burning.

Wisdom is more mobile than motion; because she is pure she pervades and penetrates all things. She is a breath of the power of God, a pure splendor of the glory of God, and a reflection of eternal light. Wisdom is the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of his goodness, and wisdom is one who can do all things.

Jasper remembered the fast river. He wondered how to get his fire across the rapids. His family saw him from the other side and shouted. Everyone was excited! Then the baby elephant jumped into the river, and Jasper jumped on top of Miles, and with both their heads barely above the surface they swam and swam. They fought against the current with all their might. Finally they reached the other side, and Dad hoisted Jasper and the fiery torch on his shoulders as he ran into the family cave, while Mom was drying off Miles’ skin and fur. They touched the torch to their waiting wood and it burst into flames.

As night fell and thousands of stars filled the sky, the whole family sat around the roaring fire, eating cooked meat for the first time in many days, and Jasper told the whole story one more time, about how he and Miles the elephant had found fire.

Just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.

And in their thankfulness they were warm and glad to be together again. They were happy, and they fell asleep.

(Wisdom 7, Psalm 119, John 15, Luke 17)

(posted at www.davesandel.net)

#