Monday, December 8, 2014

The King and the Painting
by Catherine Marshall

     There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artist tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.
     One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought it was a perfect picture of peace.
     The other picture had mountains, too, but these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest in perfect peace.
     Which picture do you think won the prize? The King chose the second picture, explaining that peace does not mean being in a place where there is no noise, trouble or turmoil. It means being in the midst of all those things, and still feeling the serenity that is always in your heart.
     That is the real meaning of peace.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 
--- Matthew 6:21

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org