Henri Nouwen tells the story...
Illustration
Henri Nouwen tells the story of an old man who used to meditate early every morning under a big tree on the bank of the Ganges River. One morning after he had finished his meditation he saw a scorpion floating helplessly in the water. As the scorpion was washed closer to the tree, the old man reached out to rescue the drowning creature. As soon as he touched it, however, the scorpion stung him. Instinctively the man withdrew his hand. A minute later though he tried again. This time the scorpion stung him so badly with its poisonous tail that his hand became swollen and bloody and his face contorted in pain. At that moment a passerby saw the old man struggling with the scorpion and shouted, "Hey, stupid old man, what's wrong with you? Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of an ugly, evil creature. Don't you know that you could kill yourself trying to save that ungrateful scorpion?" Looking into the stranger's eyes, the old man said calmly, "My friend, just because it is a scorpion's nature to sting, that does not change my nature to save." It is unfortunately man's nature to sin, and even though that brings great pain to God it does not diminish his nature to save -- "for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."
-- Lentz
-- Lentz
