The Parable of the Child and the Child’s Room

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, is Iran serious about containing its nuclear program, or is it just buying time from the U.N. negotiators?”

Josh spoke thus:

A child wanted to go out and play.

“You can’t go out and play,” the child’s parent said, “I asked you to clean your room, and you didn’t clean your room.”

“I’ll clean my room when I get back,” the child said, “I promise.”

“You promised me you’d clean your room already,” the child’s parent said, “And you didn’t clean your room.”

“I was going to clean my room,” the child said, “But you came in before I could start.”

“I asked you two days ago to clean your room,” the child’s parent said.

“And I was just about to clean it,” the child said.

“Why didn’t you clean it two days ago, when you said you were going to clean it?” the child’s parent asked.

“Because if I cleaned it two days ago, it would be messy again now,” the child said.

“I didn’t ask for it to be clean now,” the parent said, “I asked for it to be clean two days ago.”

“Don’t you want it clean now?” the child asked.

“I do want it clean now,” the child’s parent said, “But I also wanted it clean two days ago.”

“If you let me go out now,” the child said, “I’ll clean it when I get back.  Then it will be clean.”

“The issue isn’t whether the room is clean,” the parent said, “The issue is whether you said you would clean it but didn’t clean it.”

“I’m saying now that I’m going to clean it,” the child said, “As soon as I get back.”

“Why don’t you clean it now?” the parent said.

“I will clean it,” the child said, “As soon as I get back.”

“As soon as you get back is not now,” the parent said.

“As soon as I get back is as soon as I can clean it if you let me go outside,” the child said.

“You can’t go outside,” the child’s parent said, “You didn’t clean your room.”

“It’s not fair!” the child said, “You didn’t tell me yesterday I couldn’t go out today if I didn’t clean my room.”

“I told you two days ago that you couldn’t go out if you didn’t clean your room,” the child’s parent said.

“But not yesterday,” the child said, “If you told me yesterday I had to clean my room, I would have cleaned it yesterday.”

“I’m telling you today,” the child’s parent said.

“But I have to go out today!” the child said.

“The only reason you want to go out today is so you don’t have to clean your room,” the child’s parent said.

“I said I would clean my room as soon as I get back,” the child said, “I promise.”

“Oh, well since you promise,” the child’s parent said.

“So I can go out?” the child asked.

“If you’ll clean your room as soon as you get back,” the child’s parent said.

The child went to the child’s room and started cleaning.

“I thought you were going outside,” the child’s parent said.

“It’s raining,” the child said.