Centuries ago, a ruler of immense wealth and power
desired that his subjects be present with him in his
banqueting hall for a feast and celebration the likes of
which the world at that time, or any time for that matter,
had ever known. The event was to be the grandest affair
ever, with foods and drinks so sumptuous and plentiful that
the richest of men could not afford to finance such a
banquet. The ruler deeply loved those in his kingdom, and
would spend his treasury empty for their benefit.

Now, the ruler's empire was vast, spreading out for
thousands of miles over deserts, jungles, mountains and
plains. The ruler not only wished to invite a good number
of his subjects, but all of them, from the most honored
nobleman to the lowest criminal. Each one would receive
an invitation from the ruler himself. The ruler's messengers
were charged with taking the invitations the length and
breadth of the realm, ensuring they were delivered to
everyone, no matter what obstacle or opposition the
messengers might face. The ruler assured them as they
departed that they went with his authority, and this
encouraged them a great deal.

The messengers often walked or rode for many days on
their journeys, usually in pairs, sometimes alone. They
noticed that the invitations differed from one another, not
only in script (as the subjects of the empire spoke many
different languages) but in color and design as well. Some
envelopes were brightly colored and the characters were
fancy, with serifs and curls. Others were plain with bold
but "sensible" letters and no adornment. The ruler knew his
subjects well, and knew what invitations would best suit
each and every one. The messengers often marveled at such
detail and care on the ruler's part.

The task of delivering so many invitations took a long
time and was often dangerous. There were those who were
terribly happy to receive such an invitation and who, upon
receipt, would immediately prepare for the journey to the
palace. But, there were many less promising deliveries.
Some recipients would scoff at the idea of a ruler, tearing
the invitation into a hundred pieces while the messengers,
who had often traveled a great distance, watched with
sadness. Sometimes, the messengers would be spit on or
beaten or even killed, simply because they had offered the
subjects of the kingdom a chance to meet the ruler and feast
with him.

There were less violent rejections, such as those who
said they had such a busy life that they could not possibly
travel the distance back to the ruler's mansion. Or those
that said they could not afford such a trip, but when offered
transportation at the ruler's expense, would find some other
excuse.

Those who accepted the offer were handed invitations
themselves, and directed to give them out to the names on
the envelopes. They names were usually of relatives or
people with whom they lived and worked, so there would
be ample opportunity to distribute them as they prepared
for the day of the banquet. Accepting the invitation was
more than just an invitation to dine with the ruler, but also
to find and encourage others who would do the same.

The messengers, then, begat more messengers, and so on,
so that even to this day there are invitations still being
given, and there are still those who accept them willingly,
while others react with indifference or even violence. The
messengers are still about the business of inviting and will
continue to do so, until everyone knows what the ruler has
offered them. After all this time, the ruler is still seeking
those who would share his table.

Contributed by Stephen F. Pizzini (spizzini@hotmail.com)
Comments/Feedback are welcome.

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Chose you this day whom you will serve,
as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15

What is popular is not always right.
What is right is not always popular.