The Poor Man and the Diamond
There’s a story of a poor man who had a very rich friend. The rich man-wanted, to help his friend, so one day he placed a fabulously expensive diamond in the poor man’s pocket as he lay sleeping. The rich-man-slipped away unnoticed. When the poor man woke up he went on living as he had always done, from hand to mouth with barely enough provisions for himself and his family. Eventually the rich man came to visit his poor friend after many years of traveling and was shocked to see him still as poor as, ever. “What did you do with-the diamond I left with you?” “What diamond?” replied the poor man. “Why the one I left in your pocket!” At that the poor man reached into his pocket and found the diamond. Spiritually we are like that poor man. [1]
Many of us are exactly like that poor man, oblivious of the diamond in his possession. We go through life unaware of the spiritual wealth that we have in our possession, but do not recognize.
This leads us to the point of leaving our Christian path or our traditional churches, in many cases, due to the reasons outlined in A and B below. We become unaware of the value of that which is in our possession when outside influences blinds us to that spiritual wealth.
(A) Some of us who have grown up in the Christian tradition, turn from that pathway of faith, due to our inability to distinguish the core teachings of Christ from the actions of other “professed†Christians who seemingly exemplify a way of life contrary to these same teachings and life style of Jesus. We see the society in which we live stereotyping all Christians as mean spirited, hate mongering, hypocrites; and rightfully so when the vocal minority of Christians manifest in their actions and words these attributes which stand in stark contradiction to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Influenced by these negative stereotypes, many of us stray from the church (protestant and catholic denominations alike) and seek elsewhere for spiritual paths and answers.
(B) Others who have left the traditional church have done so due to a feeling of emptiness, in the spiritual sense. We are simply not finding in our traditional Christian churches that ingredient of worship which we need to satisfy that spiritual thirst or hunger that exists within us.
Those who fit into the two categories outlined here as well as society in general, fail to recognize the good works or deeds of the majority of Christians as well as the value of spiritual traditions that exist within the Christian movement. Through this failure, we go about life, in spiritual rags, ignorant of a great spiritual treasure that is offered us through Christ’s teachings and ministry. Some become fascinated with Eastern or other pathways of spiritual growth. But if we add to the ignorance of our own treasures through totally abandoning our Christian traditions and adopting another, the possibility for genuine spiritual growth in either, is greatly diminished.
We postulate or consider it as self evident that there is a thirst or hunger that is leading to a great awakening of the oft ignored wealth of Christian spiritual traditions. As more and more Christians remove the blinders of ignorance and seek out through study and subsequent rediscovery of ancient Christian Traditions, we become aware of that great wealth, that hidden diamond, that we have always had in our possession.
I once was lost, But now am found, Was blind but now I see………
These words from the old favorite hymn, Amazing Grace should become the mantra for those that have left the church due to reasons A and B above or other causes. We should open our eyes and seek out those treasures of our faith and rediscover the diamond that Christianity was meant to be.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7-8
[1] From “living in the spiritâ€, by Rachel Hosmer and Alan Jones © 1979 Seabury Press Inc
Pages 161 -163
