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The Finangler and the Spirit of Truth
by Helen Murray They met in the hallways, bumping each other accidentally? provocatively! "Oh, my apologies", Astute was quick to reconcile the mistake. "It's the yin and the yang. They emote together, ebbing and flowing, waxing and waning" declared the finangler, thrusting his body as if to demonstrate his point. They play upon the sea of your life in endless dance, accord and dischord harmonizing together, agreement and aggression flirting with each other." "What logic can this be?" asks Astute. "Can't you see it?" accuses Finangler. There is good and bad in everyman, bound up together and motivating his every move. "You speak some truth" concedes Astute, "yet it doesn't ring true. There is more to it." "Ah, you want to complicate things". Finangler pokes a derisive finger at the puzzled figure of Astute. "It's obvious, you fool. Men do good things, and men do bad things, all in the same day." "So it may seem". Astute looked directly at Finangler, whose lip twisted up to the left although his eyes were direct. "But what is the motivation for those things?" "Motivation is always by desire." Finangler was triumphant with this answer. "Science proves it. The five levels of need motivate everything. All of marketing operates on this principle. That's what makes the economy work." Astute began to flounder at this remark. He acknowledged that all this could be observed time and time again, yet it felt rickety and unsafe. He looked down and shuffled his shoes as he considered the point. "What say you, Spirit of Truth?" He turned to the silence for a moment to listen, and heard a gentle murmur. 'Desire must be disciplined to create balance'. Balance. "Desire must be disciplined to create balance if it is to have a good effect" He looked directly into Finangler's fishy face for the reaction. "Balance! Now you are getting flowery with your language. Desire creates its own balance in the market place the balance between purchases and sales, the balance between having and not having, the balance between joy and sadness, liking and not liking, wanting and not wanting, friendship and antagonism, you name it, the balance is in the market, in the give and take, always. Man is evolving and evolution decrees the balance of nature." "But nature is out of balance". Astute was sure of his ground here. Destruction was evident everywhere if you studied nature. And the main problem was mankind himself. So how would desire create balance in a badly disrupted world where war was paramount, starvation the norm, wealth belonged to a tiny minority who manipulated the market place to their own benefit, and the relief of suffering was miniscule. He decided not to proceed with the argument which was totally unproductive, but just to make a statement for his own satisfaction. He turned to go. "Yes, nature is out of balance," the Finangler touched his arm, but Astute recoiled adroitly, "but man is becoming highly evolved, and his science will eventually get the balance right." Finangler broke out into a broad grin of satisfaction, but that lip still twisted up cunningly. Meanwhile it's hallowe'en, so it's time to get out and play trick and treat. Are you coming out with us tonight? I dare you. Or are you chicken? "That's called manipulation, and I won't be part of that." Astute was quickly recognizant of the bullying tactics of the hallowe'en games. He was also aware of its ancient roots in human sacrifices, and the power of fear to control people. It's only a young practice in modern society, but its roots are frightful and ominous. "I'll do everything I can to stop the practice, especially as it applies to children." "As for science generating a balance in nature, all I can see is the huge developments in war, extinction, mind control, and devastation of resources, distribution of rubbish - even in space, economical breakdown. I don't see any brakes on hunger, malnutrition, exploitation, greed and all the other terrors of civilization. Philanthropy is no match for these expedients." "Ah, come on. You are too harsh." Astute cringed as Finangler put his arm around his shoulder in fake fatherly fashion. "Hallowe'en is only a bit of fun, and science has to produce the goods or we'll all be gone! Lighten up! Let your hair down! Enjoy yourself. Everyone else is. We all have the right to party however we like in this country. It's undemocratic to object. Don't be a spoilsport. Come on." But Astute strode away fast from that lopsided grin, and hurried o the chapel where the people were celebrating Jesus with singing and dancing, and telling their amazing stories. The Spirit of God was healing, changing broken lives and freeing from addictions. The people were coming there in droves also, and he couldn't keep away! Grandmother, teacher, bushlover, horse-lover, gardener, poet , stirrer and passionate person, especially about Jesus. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |