Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Illustrate the meaning of “A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush” (without using the actual phrase or literal example). (01/10/08)
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TITLE: Holy Cow | Previous Challenge Entry
By David F. Palmieri Sr.
01/13/08 -
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“Hey, nice Bible Josh,” proclaimed Hank as he picked up the leather covered, gold bordered Bible from the coffee table. “It looks brand new. Did you just get it for Christmas”?
“No,” Hank replied, “Brenda got me that for an anniversary gift about eight years ago.”
“So, why does it look like it’s never been used,” queried Hank. “It’s beautiful. Large print, tabs, Jesus’ words in red, and this gold edging is great. Looks like it cost quite a bit.”
“Yea, it cost a bundle, that’s why it’s been upstairs in the original box all these years. I’ve seen what too much use does to that gold. It ends up looking worn and faded. Brenda brought it down and put it there last week when she put the Christmas decorations upstairs,” unsettlingly uttered Josh.
“Don’t you think it would be better if you actually used it”? Hank shot back. “What purpose does it serve sitting on the coffee table gathering dust”?
“Come on Hank, you know I’ve been a believer for years, I’ve read through the Bible more times than I can remember. I use a pew Bible at church, why wear out my new one.? You have to admit, it looks pretty good laying there on that walnut table,” stated Josh.
“So what do you do during the week when you don’t have a pew Bible to read”? Hank grilled his friend.
“I’ve got some old ones upstairs if I need them, but I don’t usually read them during the week. Like I said, I’ve been reading that book for a lot of years now,” grunted Josh.
“You’re saying you have it all memorized” ? Hank hesitantly asked.
“Maybe not memorized, but I’ve got the gist of it in my head, enough to get me through the week anyhow,” answered Josh.
“Enough to get you through the week”? responded Hank, nearly shouting. “Listen to me brother, and listen well. There are people in certain countries that give holy honor to cows. Many of those same people die of starvation every day when the food that could save them wanders the streets. Sounds crazy right”?
“I agree, said Josh. “That is a pretty strange practice.”
“Now think about that new Bible of yours, sitting on the coffee table because you don’t want it to look used. You have given it a holy place of honor in the living room. You may not be starving Josh, but you surely can’t get enough nourishment on Sunday morning to sustain you throughout the week. There are sixty-six books and around thirty-one-thousand verses in the Bible, each one placed there by God for our daily use. How can you justify your gold-edged cow sitting on the table and not being used? You are starving yourself Josh while the food you need daily is sitting there on its walnut pedestal.”
“You have a good point there Hank. I guess reading a couple of verses a day is better for me than having them all sitting on the table looking shinny and new. I never realized it until you threw that holy cow story at me,” Josh chuckled.
“Just speaking the truth in love brother,” Hank smiled back at his friend, “ just speaking the truth in love.”
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I'm not clear on the tie-in to the proverb...I get that the Bible is his "bird in the hand," but what is the "two in the bush?"
This piece poked at my conscience a bit--I needed to read it.
I enjoyed the piece and its converse of the proverb.