See if you can figure out the meaning of this modern parable:
A missionary comes upon a Samoan, who is lying around on the beach.
MISSIONARY: Look at you! You’re just wasting your life away lying around like that!
SAMOAN: Why? What do you think I should be doing?
MISSIONARY: Well, there are plenty of coconuts all around here. Why not dry some copra and sell it?
SAMOAN: And why would I want to do that?
MISSIONARY: Well, you could make a lot of money, and with the money you make, you could get a drying machine, and dry copra faster and make even more money!
SAMOAN: OK. And why would I want to do that?
MISSIONARY: Well, you’d be rich! You could buy land, plant more trees, expand operations. At that point, you wouldn’t even have to do the physical work anymore, you could just hire a bunch of other people to do it for you!
SAMOAN: OK. And why would I want to do that?
MISSIONARY: Well, eventually, with all that copra, land, machines, employees, and all that money, you could retire a rich man. You wouldn’t have to do anything! You could just lie on the beach all day!
This parable is from David Graeber’s book Debt: The First 5000 Years. As we continue our Life of David series next week, we will be studying 1 Samuel chapters 18 & 19. Read the story in those chapters ahead of time, and see if you can determine how this parable relates. This is one that I think you’ll find applies to our lives in 2024!
Photo by Vidi Drone on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 