The Parable of the Crossing Guard

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, what effect will air strikes have on the situation in Syria?”

Josh spoke thus:

A crossing guard was directing a school crosswalk.  A group of school children approached the crosswalk.  The crossing guard held up the crossing-guard “lollipop” stop sign.

“Stop!” the crossing guard said to the children.  The crossing guard pointed at the word “STOP” on the lollipop. The children stopped.  

A car drove across the crosswalk.  When the car had passed, the group of children moved to cross the street.

“Stop!” the crossing guard said to the children.  The crossing guard pointed at the word “STOP” on the lollipop.

“But we can cross,” one of the children said, “There are no cars coming.”

“Stop!” the crossing guard said to the children.  The crossing guard pointed at the word “STOP” on the lollipop.

“We can read,” another child said, “We know it says ‘Stop.’”

“Stop!” the crossing guard said to the children.  Another car passed along the road.

“You’re supposed to stop the cars,” a child said to the crossing guard, “You’re supposed to point the sign at the cars.  When you tell the cars to stop, they stop, and we cross.  It’s a children’s crossing.”

“Stop!” the crossing guard said to the children.  Another car passed over the crosswalk.

Two children crossed the crosswalk.

“Stop!” the crossing guard said to the children, but the children continued to the other side.

“Stop!” the crossing guard said to the remaining children.  The remaining children waited for a car to pass, then started to cross the crosswalk.

“Stop!” the crossing guard said to the remaining children as they crossed.

A car approached the crosswalk.

“Stop!” the remaining children shouted at the car.  The car stopped.

“Stop!” the crossing guard said to the stopped car as the children finished crossing the crosswalk.  With no children on the crosswalk, the car drove across the crosswalk and down the street.

“Stop!” the crosswalk guard said to the car as it drove away.

Another group of children approached the crosswalk, as two cars came up the street.

The crosswalk guard looked up at the word “STOP” on the lollipop.  Wordlessly, the new group of children waited as the two cars passed, then they wordlessly crossed the crosswalk.  As they did so a car approached, slowed, stopped, let the children pass, then drove on.

The crosswalk guard looked around.  A light rain began to fall.

“Stop!” the crosswalk guard shouted at the sky.  The crosswalk guard showed the word “STOP” on the lollipop to the sky.  The light rain continued to fall.

The crosswalk guard dropped the lollipop and went home.