Out Of Africa
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle A
In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith - being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (vv. 6--7)
A king in Africa had a close friend whom he had known since the two were boys. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation in his life and remarking, "This is good!" It didn't matter if the event was positive or negative. He always saw it as a positive.
One day the king and his lifelong friend were on a hunting expedition. The friend was in charge of loading and preparing the guns for the king. Apparently he had accidentally prepared one of the guns incorrectly. After taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and blew off his thumb. His friend took his usual viewpoint and exclaimed, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is not good!" He then ordered his friend to be thrown in prison.
About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that was inhabited by cannibals. He knew better than to hunt there. Sure enough, cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake, and bound him to it. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. They were highly superstitious and never ate anyone who was less than whole. So, they untied the king and sent him on his way.
He felt fortunate as he journeyed home. He recalled the hunting incident that had taken his thumb. It seemed so unfortunate at the time, but now the king was feeling remorseful for how harshly he had treated his friend. He went immediately to the prison and had his friend released.
The king told his friend, "I had thought that it was a bad thing to lose my thumb, and I was angry that you had called it a good thing. But you were right!" He then proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "Now I have come to tell you how very sorry I am for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
His friend replied, "No, this is good!"
The king asked, "What do you mean, 'This is good?' How could it be good if I wrongly sent my best friend to jail for over a year?"
The friend replied, "Well, if I had not been in jail, I probably would have been hunting with you today. I am not missing any fingers. The cannibals would not have let me go."
A king in Africa had a close friend whom he had known since the two were boys. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation in his life and remarking, "This is good!" It didn't matter if the event was positive or negative. He always saw it as a positive.
One day the king and his lifelong friend were on a hunting expedition. The friend was in charge of loading and preparing the guns for the king. Apparently he had accidentally prepared one of the guns incorrectly. After taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and blew off his thumb. His friend took his usual viewpoint and exclaimed, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is not good!" He then ordered his friend to be thrown in prison.
About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that was inhabited by cannibals. He knew better than to hunt there. Sure enough, cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake, and bound him to it. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. They were highly superstitious and never ate anyone who was less than whole. So, they untied the king and sent him on his way.
He felt fortunate as he journeyed home. He recalled the hunting incident that had taken his thumb. It seemed so unfortunate at the time, but now the king was feeling remorseful for how harshly he had treated his friend. He went immediately to the prison and had his friend released.
The king told his friend, "I had thought that it was a bad thing to lose my thumb, and I was angry that you had called it a good thing. But you were right!" He then proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "Now I have come to tell you how very sorry I am for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
His friend replied, "No, this is good!"
The king asked, "What do you mean, 'This is good?' How could it be good if I wrongly sent my best friend to jail for over a year?"
The friend replied, "Well, if I had not been in jail, I probably would have been hunting with you today. I am not missing any fingers. The cannibals would not have let me go."
