Article February 22, 2021 Issue

Cast off those mental tatters!

Karen Neff

I’ve always loved the object lesson in Aesop’s fable of the wind and the sun. Recently I became aware that it held a deep spiritual lesson for me as well.

In the fable, the north wind and the sun were arguing one day about which of them was stronger. They decided to have a contest. A man was walking below on a country road, and they agreed that each would in turn try to remove the traveler’s coat. The one that was successful would be the winner and acknowledged as the strongest.

The wind went first and blew with all its might. The man, chilled by the blasts of cold air, just hugged his coat more tightly about him. Then came the sun’s turn. It proceeded to shine, radiating light and heat. The man was so warmed by the sun’s rays that he soon took off his coat and laid it down.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Image and Inspiration