The Parable of the Hiker’s Return from the Wilderness

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, how often is too often to check the news?”

Josh spoke thus:

A hiker came back from a backpacking trip in the wilderness.  The hiker had been in the wilderness for a month, so the hiker was curious to see the news.

“Can I see the newspaper?” the hiker asked the hiker’s significant other.

“We don’t get a newspaper anymore,” the hiker’s significant other said.

“Why don’t we get the newspaper anymore?” the hiker asked, “Did you cancel our subscription?”

“The newspaper doesn’t deliver a newspaper anymore,” the hiker’s significant other said, “The newspaper is electronic now.”

“Okay, then I’ll go on their website,” the hiker said.  The hiker went to the couple’s home office to turn on their computer and go to the newspaper’s website.  The computer desk was not in the office.

“What happened to our computer desk?” the hiker asked.

“We don’t have a computer desk anymore,” the hiker’s significant other said, “We upgraded.”  The hiker’s significant other showed the hiker a laptop computer on the kitchen table.

The hiker sat down at the kitchen table, turned on the laptop and searched for the newspaper’s website.  The newspaper’s website asked for a password.

“We need a password?” the hiker asked, “What’s our password?”

“I don’t remember,” the hiker’s significant other said, “It’s so long since I’ve used it.”

“If you never use the password, why are we paying for a subscription to their website?” the hiker asked.

“I don’t read the newspaper on their website,” the hiker’s significant other said, “I use their app on our tablet.”

“We have a tablet?” the hiker asked, “Since when do we have a tablet?”

“We needed a tablet,” the hiker’s significant other said, “To keep up with all the apps, news and books.  I read the newspaper on our tablet.”

The hiker’s significant other handed the hiker a tablet, which was already open to the newspaper’s app.

“A lot has changed in the time I’ve been gone,” the hiker said.  The hiker started reading the stories on the newspaper’s app.  The stories were of shootings, government squabbles and wars.

The hiker took a smartphone from the kitchen table and tweeted, “Nothing at all has changed in the time I’ve been gone.”