The Allegory: A Story for Our Time

by Debbie Buchanan Engle
July 14, 2012

Sometimes, a Thing exists,
And everybody knows in their heart of hearts that It's a really, intrinsically bad thing.

It started badly -
Causing pain, suffering and sorrow to millions;
It is managed badly by selfish people with deceptive ways,
And it only gets worse as it matures and thrives off the innocents who are incapable of knowing Its intentions.

As this Thing grows and feeds,
It evolves with long tentacles and an ever-increasing brain capacity
To facilitate its need to control all aspects of the innocents' lives:
Their food, their knowledge, their ability to sit quietly and think about what is right and what is wrong.

The Thing has complete control over everything,
And insists that It selflessly gives absolute freedom, justice and peace to the innocents at all times.

The Thing appears to the innocents as a beautiful, wholesome, nurturing source of liberty -
But the innocents see only the well-polished, decorated exterior of the Thing.
A beautiful flower can be deadly if all of its parts are ingested by an admirer.

So the innocents live out their lives while the Thing quietly erodes their health, their freedom and their love of each other.

Slowly, one by one, the innocents grow to believe that the Thing has all the answers.
The Thing is the absolute because It says It is.
The Thing solves all problems because it has unlimited resources and knowledge.
The Thing is to be trusted because the Thing provides sustenance and protection and unconditional love.

Of course, there are stories of innocents who have disobeyed the Thing -
But they shouldn't have doubted.
The fault was theirs.
They suffered the consequences of their own selfish, delusional acts of disobedience.
They could not see that to obey is to be free,
And to trust in the Thing is to know real love.

Some innocents gave themselves over to questioning and doubt of the Thing.
They were punished based on the benevolent rules created by the Thing,
And they accepted their punishment quietly and humbly,
Admitting a well-deserved defeat.

The Thing sensed but could not determine the number of innocents who considered escape.
They knew a better world existed.

"Why would they want to leave this Utopia?" the Thing asked Itself.

So, in a game as old as time, the Thing and the innocents acted according to what each supposed it knew about the other;
And both were wrong, as generally is the case when neither has access to 100% of the information.

This gave the Thing a grand opportunity to grow and expand!
It's shiny exterior beamed in the faces of more and more innocents.
They grew to love the Thing, and they wanted to be a part of It so badly!

As always, those who did not want to know the Thing were dealt with according to Its loving and just ways.

Generations of innocents happily followed the Thing, and because they never suffered,
They knew they had won Its favor.
The Thing rewarded them with luxury and ease and escape from their problems.
The innocents grew more and more dependent on It,
And the Thing lovingly accepted their devotion and their unconditional adoration.

Occasionally, an innocent would secretly decide to rebel against the Thing.
What became of those who rejected Its Utopia?
What happened to their words and their writings?
If the Thing was as powerful and omnipotent as the innocents believed,
Why didn't It punish all who spoke against It?

After some thought, the Thing offered the innocents a tablet that clarified all issues once and for all,
And they accepted it with love and unquestioning devotion.