Vision: Eagles and the Game Plan

 

Vision: Eagles and the Game Plan

6th February 2014

 

I saw a tall building. It had a large elevated driveway. The interiors and exteriors, driveways et al of this building were covered in colorful bathroom tiles. Nations around the world had contributed bathroom tiles in the construction of this building.

On the grounds, the floors and the walls, inner and outer, were inscribed board games such as chess, snakes and ladders, western games, eastern games, and international versions of the same games. On the higher floors were vast spaces for ball games. I saw baskets, nets, and all such sports equipment.  All outdoors games were played indoors.  The top-most floors housed areas for wrestling, boxing, fencing etc. The terrace was for speed car racing and games played with vehicles. In the centre of the terrace was a giant pillar upon which rested a rotating room. Housed here were those who played mind games with peoples and nations.

There were separate routes for religious games that finally amalgamated on one broad pathway.

There were terms and conditions upon which one could enter this building and it’s surrounding property. All who entered this building had to be game players. Winners of games on the ground floor advanced to the next sport, but to proceed to the higher floors one final secret condition had to be fulfilled by the players. The stakes were higher on the upper floors.

Those who repeatedly failed at the basic games, or refused to fulfill the secret condition, were flung out of small narrow slits in the wall which looked like windows common to public toilets.

Multitudes formed perennial queues outside. They yearned to be permanent resident players in the building. Some thought to go in and tolerate what they could of it and change whatever games system they could, to make it more equitable and profitable for all.

Circling this building on the outside were low-flying eagles.

These eagles had been named café eagles, as they loitered in cafes hoping to be noticed. To draw attention to themselves, they began reading the future from tea leaves, shadows, cracks in pavements, shape of cuticles, body art, graffiti on public walls. They could prognosticate everything, from anything.

These café eagles knew that they had better vision than all the non-eagle populace, but rather than put it to the use for which it was designed, they applied it to analyze threadbare, the frivolous and the ridiculous. From such bizarre analysis they predicted the future.

Every café eagle had this in common. All had left home before time, all were drop-outs, and all had not yielded to the basic eagle-discipline required of them.

They were older now, but not wiser. These café eagles still pranced around like they were in their early teens. They were as impetuous now as in the days of their first rebellion. Their immaturity was obvious.

The café eagles were now eyeing this bizarre looking tall building. They discussed with the gullible customers who gathered around their table, their seven- point plan to take over this building for the Lord, one floor at a time. “Some of our brave brethren have gone in, and not returned. This clearly means they are taking over parts of the building, we must go in and help them”.

Suddenly, they heard a series of thuds.



Café eagles that had entered the bizarre structure to play games had failed and had now been unceremoniously thrown out of the building.

They lay gasping on the ground. Bedraggled and in a state of shock, these evicted eagles became delirious.

“We need to go to the Lord and find out why our plan failed,” gasped one of the evicted eagles.

Café eagles got hold of the evicted eagles and shook them, “There’s no need to do that, we have a seven-point plan………..”

“It’s the seven point plan that failed,” lamented a bedraggled eagle.

“So let’s go with an even better plan. Let’s reinforce the old one, and let’s make it a fourteen point plan,” advised another café eagle.

Some among the fallen eagles rose up with divine strength. “No! No more games! Not 7 point not 14 point …we’re going to the Lord….”

“Don’t do it bro!” yelled a café eagle, “Don’t you know that once you go to the Lord, you’ll have to submit to His discipline? You only yield to the Lord when you’re ready for all that discipline stuff…..we’re too young to lose years to God’s discipline.”

The risen eagles answered not. They flew to the Lord.

The remaining evicted eagles liked all the attention they were getting. They yielded to the café eagles, and allowed themselves to be carried back into the familiar environment, the café.

There, the evicted eagles recounted their horrific experience in the bizarre building.

One of the café eagles said accusingly, “You must have done something wrong because only a few of you were flung out. Surely the other eagles that went with you are preparing it for a take-over; surely they are changing the system from within”.

“Oh, them! They couldn't change the system from within, but the system sure did change them from within. They’ve turned to vultures.”

An elder café eagle said, “I say, let’s recruit as many eagles as we can find, and this time, not with a seven-point plan but with a new, improved fourteen point game plan; we move into the building and voila! We take over the system. A silent coup d'état, a bloodless revolution, and won’t the Lord be pleased, us playing the games and winning! After that, we can turn over the entire building to Him.”

Suddenly the café eagles noticed the first time visitor who had entered the café, a little while back. He was clearly not a customer. The visitor had remained standing in a corner, a little distance away; he had observed all that had transpired and had been listening to their entire conversation.

“Here comes another one of those to tell us that the Games  building is devoted to destruction”, muttered a puny little eagle. None of the eagles had grown to their potential size. The present environment they had chosen was not conducive to their growth.

The first time visitor now drew near to the eagles’ table and said, “How will you get into the building?”

“That’s such a simple question! We get into the building by playing the prescribed games, and as we win, we proceed to the higher floor”.

.” So when you proceed to the higher floor in the building, what do you do there?” the visitor inquired.

“Well, we simply fulfill the secret condition, play according to our fourteen point game plan, win, and move higher and higher and higher we win win win, gain gain gain……..” giggled a scrawny eagle.

All the café eagles burst into laughter.

“And what might this secret condition be?” inquired the visitor solemnly.

The eagles observed the visitor’s grave expression. There was a sudden awkward silence.

One of the undersized eagles, a recent runaway from home, a dropout and the newest member of the café eagles’ company, broke the silence.

“I guess since the building is about playing games that yield great profits, the secret condition would be about paying the ……….”

A scrawny eagle had moved to a far corner to observe and listen carefully to all that this curious visitor had said and he had wondered what the visitor was getting at. All at once, his eyes began to open wide, and he interrupted the newest member of their group.

“Price”, he shouted, “It’s about paying a very heavy………………price! The gains from those games are going to cost us.”

“So we’ll sell all our properties,” retorted another eagle.

The  enlightened eagle replied, “I have been so foolish, I now understand what that ‘secret’ condition is. We are not expected to sell our properties, to play games on the higher floor of that building, we are expected to sell our souls!”

All the eagles gasped in horror. They had paid more attention to the seven and fourteen easy steps, and what really was an illusionary take-over, than to God’s Will.

The visitor departed  from the café, without speaking another word. He left behind a single sheet of paper, on a vacant table.  All the eagles hastened to read what was written.

Mark 8:36

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

I heard the fluttering of many eagles’ wings.

Filled with the fear of the Lord, the eagles now flew out of the café, and did not look left or right, but straight ahead. From the brink of a self-made disaster, the Lord had sent His Word and rescued them.

They were now on their way to surrender to the Lord and completely yield to His discipline.

After all the eagles had flown out of the café, I saw the sheet of paper flying after them.

On the other side of the paper, was written this parable.

Luke 14:28-35

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out.

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 

Bombay-India

Swarna Jha