Feeding the Flame

"The Coin"   

- From Candle Light

The Old Man held a coin in the air, letting its gleam fall across the boy's eager eyes.  "What does this mean to you?" he asked?"

"Why, Teacher," began the lad, "it's a coin.  One uses it to buy things."

"Exactly," said the Old Man.  "What manner of thing can it buy?"

The boy answered, "With enough of them, it can buy anything, everything!"

"Can it be used to do good?"

"Oh, yes!  It certainly can."

"Evil?"

"Yes Teacher, it can be used for that in the wrong hands."

"Then, we have discovered that one coin can be used for either good or evil...the same coin...the only difference is by whom it is used."  The old one tossed the coin in the air, flinging it with his thumb so that it turned rapidly over and over.  A ringing like a small bell reverberated through the valley.

"Imagine that this coin is named TRUTH: one side of it represents good, the other side represents evil.  Which side would you pick?"

"The good side, of course," offered the boy, puffing up his chest as if to say, “I know the right answer to THAT question!”

The coin landed on the soft ground.  Its ringing fell silent. 

"Look at the coin," instructed the Teacher, "which side is showing?"

The boy didn't answer.  He had no way to tell which was which.

The Old Man laughed at the confused expression on the young boy’s face, "Don't worry, Caleb!  It's the good side - because you are the one who chose it."