Friday, February 27, 2015

The Parable of Collins Thompson and the World Mourning Center

   In the year 2032, Collins Thompson turned to the latest in technology to make him a masterful mourner. That was the year that technology became so far advanced that it became possible to have a picture of every person in the world who died each day. So, Collins had the pictures flashed before his eyes, one every second.
   Trouble is, he found he couldn't view them all. There just wasn't enough time in the day. With 155,000 dying each day, even if he viewed them straight through 24 hours a day, he would fall short of viewing them all.
   What to do? It seemed every person deserved at least a second of his time. So, our friend Collins Thompson decided morning needed to be a group effort. He opened the World Mourning Center, and invited people in to help him mourn. Each of the dead now could be given five screen seconds.
   Well now, I suppose this little story is a little odd to some of you. And, I suppose you are right to say Collins Thompson was a little odd for engaging in such an activity. But, I beg from you a thought or two: Will you concede that each life is worthy of our notice? The story does make that point, doesn' it?
   But, draw a second point from the wee little story, for while it is worthy that we give our attentions to each passing, it is simply a fact that time, as a resource, requires us to devote our attentions to other things. There is a phrase, "Let the dead bury the dead." Perhaps our tale offers some meaning that might be attached to those words. Whether that is what those words were meant to convey, I do  not say, but I see how one could apply the story to those words.

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