"I've been diagnosed with terminal cancer," the CEO told his vice-presidents. "The doctors say that I have five years to live. You three have run this business for years, but I want to hand it over to just one of you as sole owner.
"So, for the next two years, I'm giving you an extra task."
He reached into his desk, and pulled out three small burlap bags. "Seeds," he said. "I’m not going to tell you what to do with them."
Two years later, he called the three vice-presidents to his hospice bedside.
"Tell me what you did with my seeds," he ordered.
The first vice-president stepped forward. "I knew that the seeds were a challenge," he explained. "Obviously, the seeds themselves were worthless. You wanted to see what I could do with nothing. So I put them on e-bay. I traded them for someone's left shoe. Which I traded up for a broken skateboard. And I traded that for a package of bubblegum that had never been chewed...
“Every day for the last two years, I have made a trade of some kind on your behalf.
“And so, today, I'm happy to present to you this certificate. You are currently the sole owner of the country of Liberia."
The dying CEO glanced at the title document, and placed it on his bedside table without comment.
The second vice-president stepped up.
"Unlike my associate here," he said, nodding at the first vice-president, “I realized that the seeds you gave me had a symbolic value. They represented the agricultural industry. So I leveraged your seeds into commodity futures. I bought on margin. I sold short. I patented basmati rice and maple syrup – no one can use them now without paying you a royalty.
“I manipulated international transfer payments to minimize declared incomes and maximize intercorporate profits. I stored the revenue in untraceable offshore bank accounts.
“At this point, you control the world market for coconut palm oil, cassava roots, and tofu-burger patties."
The CEO looked at the third vice-president.
"I have to disagree with both of my colleagues," he said. "I assumed that the seeds were, in fact, seeds. I didn't know what kind of seeds, so I planted them. I got sunflowers, which produced more seeds. I got salvia, and lupines, and marigolds. There were some funny looking little bulbs; they gave me gladiolus, allium, and oriental lilies.
“I took some surplus seedlings to a church yard sale, and exchanged them for wisteria and honeysuckle vines, and some dahlia tubers.
“I now have deep pendulous purple blossoms over my patio. I have more than 40 varieties of roses. The compost that I dig into the vegetable garden gives me tomatoes, beans, and peas. Butterflies flit around the buddleia bushes in the day; bees buzz in the lavender; koi swim in the pond.
“It's beautiful, and peaceful. After a tough day at the office, it feels like a deep pool of calm when I go home. Would you like me to take you to see what your seeds have become?” he offered.
The CEO shook his head. “No need,” he said. “I've made my choice. I'm turning my company over to
*****************************************
Copyright © 2017 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups, and links from other blogs, welcomed; all other rights reserved.
To comment on this column, write jimt@quixotic.ca
*****************************************
YOUR TURN
In last week’s column, I lamented that having had malaria as a “missionary kid” now made me ineligible to donate blood. Helen Arnott, a contemporary of mine in India, disagreed: “I, too, have had malaria, several times. I have donated many units of blood since then.”
Helen quoted the criteria from Redcrossblood.org, which is, unfortunately for me, the American Red Cross site. They require a three-year waiting period for anyone who has had malaria; Canadian Blood Services still imposes a lifetime ban on potential malaria carriers.
Helen ended, “I do agree that both you and your friend have learned much about altruism. Thank you for focussing on this special life-saving donation.”
Margaret Marquis wrote, “Thanks for encouraging people to be blood donors. I have been a blood platelet donor for several years. Platelets, which are necessary for blood to clot normally, are especially needed by people who are undergoing chemotherapy. In the US, you can give platelets every two weeks and, depending on your particular circumstances, you may be able to give as many as 3 units of platelets. Others choose to give ‘double red cells’ meaning that twice as many red cells are ‘harvested’ as there would be in a standard whole blood donation.
“Please continue encouraging people to give -- someone's life depends on it!”
I gather that Larry Joose is a regular donor. He wrote, “Thanks for your volunteerism, Jim. Always great to see the volunteers at the refreshment area. Giving blood usually takes an hour of your time but it can make a huge difference in another person’s life.”
Lyle Phillips also offered encouragement: “In Langley we have clinics every two weeks on Tuesdays and every eight weeks on Sundays. Fortunately, we are close enough to Vancouver that the staff and the collected blood can be transported economically.
“I volunteer at a clinic every four weeks and find it very rewarding. The donors are all so friendly, happy, and upbeat when they arrive at the refreshment tables where they are ‘rewarded’ with unlimited juice, coffee, or tea, and cookies.
“After 125 donations, I am limited by my hemoglobin (iron) levels to donating only two or three times a year, but I find it amazing that so few Canadians take an hour every 8 to 12 weeks to donate blood. It costs nothing more than about an hour of time. Having said that, I am pleased to see a growing number of young people donating and volunteering -- hopefully the trend will continue.”
*******************************************
PSALM PARAPHRASES
Ah, this season after Pentecost, when the Lectionary offers two choices for a Psalm reading. I decided I have used Psalm 105, or parts of it, too often already. So I’m going with Psalm 28:1-8.
1 Do not brush me off like dandruff, God.
I have been true to you.
I have trusted you;
I have never doubted you for more than a moment.
2 If you don't believe me, test me.
Look into my heart and listen to my thoughts.
See for yourself that I have been faithful.
3 Can't you see that your love means everything to me?
Everything I do, I do for you.
4 I don't play around with pretense;
I don't flirt with false ideals.
5 I despise those who do wrong;
I avoid those who flaunt their faithlessness.
6 I wash my hands of them.
My hands are clean; I come to you with a clear conscience.
7 I constantly count my blessings;
I always speak well of you.
I bless the day you entered my life.
8 I glow when I am near you;
I bask in the sunshine of your smile.
For paraphrases of most of the psalms used by the Revised Common Lectionary, you can order my book Everyday Psalms from Wood Lake Publishing, info@woodlake.com.
*******************************************
YOU SCRATCH MY BACK…
· Ralph Milton’s most recent project, Sing Hallelujah -- the world’s first video hymnal -- consists of 100 popular hymns, both new and old, on five DVDs that can be played using a standard DVD player and TV screen, for use in congregations who lack skilled musicians to play piano or organ. More details at www.singhallelujah.ca
· Isabel Gibson's thoughtful and well-written blog, www.traditionaliconoclast.com
· Wayne Irwin's "Churchweb Canada," an inexpensive service for any congregation wanting to develop a web presence, with free consultation. <http://www.churchwebcanada.ca>
· Alva Wood's satiric stories about incompetent bureaucrats and prejudiced attitudes in a small town are not particularly religious, but they are fun; write alvawood@gmail.com to get onto her mailing list.
· Tom Watson writes a weekly blog called “The View from Grandpa Tom’s Balcony” -- ruminations on various subjects, and feedback from Tom’s readers. Write him at twatson@sentex.net
*****************************************
TECHNICAL STUFF
If you want to comment on something, send a message directly to me, jimt@quixotic.ca.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to jimt@quixotic.ca. Or you can subscribe electronically by sending a blank e-mail (no message or subject line) to softedges-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca. Similarly, you can un-subscribe at softedges-unsubscribe@lists.quixotic.ca.
My webpage is up and running again -- thanks to Wayne Irwin and ChurchWeb Canada. You can now access current columns and about five years of archives at http://quixotic.ca
I write a second column each Sunday called Sharp Edges, which tends to be somewhat more cutting about social and justice issues. To sign up for Sharp Edges, write to me directly, jimt@quixotic.ca, or send a note to sharpedges-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca
********************************************