Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Tuesday, December 2, 2003
But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was
the
greatest.
(Mark 9.34
NRSV)
Number One bell said, "Well, I'm Number One, of course, I'm the most important. I ring first, there can be no doubt about that."
Number Two interrupted, "No, no, no, One is nothing without Two."
Number Three chipped in rather angrily and said, "If you boys knew any theology, you would know that, of course, Three is the number that counts."
But before he had finished Number Four said, "With four bells you've got the perfect square. I must be the most important."
Then Five said, "But I'm one more than Four, so anything that Four claims, I can claim one extra."
Six, of course, had a great deal to say for himself because six means half-a-dozen. Nothing could be more important than Six.
Then Number Seven spoke, "Well, there are seven gifts of the Holy spirit, and seven cardinal virtues and seven vices and all the rest, so Number Seven has as good a claim as any to be the most important."
Number Eight came in to say, "Well, after all, if you know anything about rowing, it's an eight on the river that really matters."
And then Number Nine put in his claim because if three is important, three times three must be really important.
By the time Ten, Eleven and Twelve spoke up, the discussion had gotten so heated that the language used by Numbers, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve could not really bear repetition.
But they had not got the last word, because there was another character present, the Spirit of the Tower, and the Spirit of the Tower at last spoke and said: "My Children, stop. Be silent. You're all talking a great deal of nonsense, because the real point is that none of you is important at all by yourselves.
"We're only here to be used by God, and for God's glory. And it's only when we work all together that we do any good to God or man. So, stop talking and ring--all together, and strike all together, midnight, to the glory of God!"
God of this holy season, remind me often that I am important when Christ rings through me. Amen.
