The Parable of the Hole in the Boat

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, while helping the poor to improve their lives in the long term is laudable, what use is it if the poor starve to death in the short term?”

Josh spoke thus:

There was a hole in a boat.  It wasn’t a gigantic hole, but it wasn’t a small hole.  It was a hole that was leaking water into the boat. 

“We need to fix the hole in the boat,” a person on the boat said.

“We need to fix the sails,” another person said.

“The rudder needs an upgrade,” a third person said.

“The deck is a mess,” a fourth person said.

“I understand all that,” the first person said, “But we need to fix the hole.”

“If we fix the hole, that will reduce the effort we can put into repairing the sails,” the second person said.

“If we don’t fix the rudder, we can’t steer,” the third person said.

“The mess on the deck is a disgrace,” the fourth person said.

“We’re sinking,” the first person said, “Water is coming in the hole in the boat.  I think before we worry about the sails, and before we worry about the rudder, and before we worry about the mess on the deck, we should worry about the hole in the bottom of the boat.”

“I am in favor of discussing the hole in the bottom of the boat,” the second person said, “After we come to an agreement about the sails.”

“I refuse to allow the issue of the sails to take focus away from the rudder,” the third person said.

“The mess on the deck is a disgrace,” the fourth person said, “Nobody wants to talk about the mess on the deck.”

“Maybe there wouldn’t be such a mess on the deck if people focussed more on repairing the sails and less on making a mess on the deck,” the second person said.

“Maybe if people would recognize the need for a rudder,” the third person said, “They’d stop wasting time arguing about sails and messes.”

“Maybe the key to fixing the sails and to fixing the rudder is cleaning up the mess on the deck,” the fourth person said, “It always comes down to the mess on the deck.  We can’t do anything until we clean up the mess on the deck.”

“I don’t mind talking about the mess on the deck,” the second person said, “If it means there is a discussion of the sails.”

“After we agree we’ll discuss the rudder,” the third person said, “I’ll be happy to discuss the sails and the mess on the deck.”

“People!” the first person said, “The boat is sinking!  The first thing we have to do is fix the hole in the boat!”

“That’s why we’ll never fix the hole in the boat,” the second person said, “You don’t listen to anyone else.”

“You’re inflexible,” the third person said.

“You deserve to sink,” the fourth person said.

“We’re all sinking!” the first person said.  

The second person, the third person and the fourth person turned their backs on the first person and began a negotiation about discussing the sails, the rudder and the mess on the deck.