Contending for the Recognition of Absolutes , Part Three
Ordered Liberty Rests on Absolute Truth
“ In a free society that honors virtue , you have 270 million policemen ; in a society that mocks virtue , you can ’ t hire enough policemen .” Charles Colson and Ellen Vaughn 1
By B . Nathaniel Sullivan
A
Jewish rabbi on a plane bound for Israel soon discovered he was seated next to one of the leaders of Israel ’ s socialist labor movement . After the plane became airborne , one of the rabbi ’ s students , a young man seated several rows back , approached the rabbi and offered him his slippers . “ Here are your slippers , sir ,” he said . “ You ’ ll feel more comfortable in them since your feet swell terribly on the plane .” The same young man returned shortly and offered the rabbi several sandwiches . “ Maria fixed these for your lunch , sir . We know you ’ ll prefer them to the food you could get on the plane .”
The young man returned several times to check on the rabbi to see if he could make him feel more comfortable or assist him in another way . Amazed , the socialist leader exclaimed , “ Wow ! I ’ m so impressed with your son ! I have four grown sons , and none of them ever has offered to serve me as your son has waited on you . Why is he so attentive ?”
“ This young man is not my son but my student ,” responded the rabbi . “ His service , as good as it is , is nothing compared to the assistance my own son would give me if he were here .”
The rabbi continued , “ To be honest , the reason the members of the next generation , including members of our own families , treat us as they do is quite simple . They are living according to the principles we ’ ve taught them . You ’ ve believed and taught your students and family members that you — and they — descended from apes . They know intuitively this means that you are one generation closer to being a monkey than they are , so it ’ s only natural for them to expect you to serve them and for them to feel they have a right to live as they please . I , on the other hand , have taught my children and students God created all people . They understand this puts me one generation closer to the Source of Ultimate Truth , and they treat me in accord with this general understanding . I ’ ve tried as well to make them aware of their own responsibility to obey God ’ s moral law , including the Ten Commandments . We reap what we sow .” 2
10 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW