The Parable of the Two Scribes and the Parchment

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, how far are we from the point where personal computers do more than we need them to?”

Josh spoke thus:

Two scribes were leaning over a piece of parchment.

“Isn’t it amazing?” one scribe said, “How we can take some charcoal and some pigment and change this sheepskin into the Word of God?”

“In the beginning,” the second scribe said, “Was the Word.  Now there’s your amazing.”

“In so many words,” the first scribe said.

“So if the Word was in the beginning, what are we creating?” the second scribe asked.

“We are transforming this sheepskin into God,” the first scribe said.

“That’s heresy!” the second scribe said.

“That’s logic,” the first scribe said.

“How so?” the second scribe asked.

“We’re taking the Word, which is God, and we’re placing it on this sheepskin,” the first scribe said, “We’re transfiguring the parchment.”

“So the sheepskin is the Word?” the second scribe asked.

“So the sheepskin is God,” the first scribe said, “That’s 

the Gospel.”

“Isn’t that idolatrous?” the second scribe asked.

“Only if we worship the sheepskin,” the first scribe said.

“But if the sheepskin is transfigured into God, shouldn’t we logically worship the sheepskin?” the second scribe asked.

“We worship the words on the parchment, not the parchment,” the first scribe said, “The words are what is holy.  The Word is holy.”

“The Word is God,” the second scribe said.

“That’s the Word,” the first scribe said.

“And all that with a pen and a parchment!” the second scribe said, “Could you imagine if everyone could read?  Everyone could know the Word.  Everyone could know God.”

“They’d have to write also,” the first scribe said, “It’s no good just reading.  It’s like the sacrament.  You need to participate in the sacrament.  You can’t just watch the sacrament.  You can’t just read the Word.  You have to actively engage in it.  You have to write it.”

“But if everyone could read, couldn’t everyone write?” the second scribe asked.

“And if everyone’s writing,” the first scribe asked, “Who’s sowing and reaping?  Who’s tending sheep?  Who’s building roads and bridges and cathedrals?  Who’s liberating the Holy Land?”  

“I suppose the world does not live by the Word alone,” the second scribe said.  The second scribe sighed.

“The world may not live by the Word,” the first scribe said, “But we do.  And we have a lot of Word to do before supper.  Pass the ink pot, will you?”