The Parable of Horizons

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, which is more thrilling, setting off on an adventure or returning, beginning a task or completing it, the first chord of a favorite song or the last?”

Josh spoke thus:

Two companions were walking through a forest to the sea.

“We need to go back,” the first companion said.

“Go back?” the second companion said, “But we haven’t even seen the sea!”

“We don’t need to see the sea,” the first companion said, “We need to go back.”

“But when we reach the sea, we’ll see ships!” the second companion said, “If we go home what will we see?”

“We’ll see family,” the first companion said, “We’ll see loved ones.  We’ll see community.”

“We’ve seen family,” the second companion said, “We’ve seen loved ones.  We’ve seen community.  We need to see the sea!  Let’s at least see the sea.”

“But you don’t just want to see the sea,” the first companion said, “We’ll see the sea, and when we see the sea we’ll see seabirds.”

“Of course we’ll see seabirds,” the second companion.

“And what will those seabirds show us?” the first companion said, “They’ll show us ships.  Ships that have been to sea.  Ships that have been to foreign ports.  Ships with crews who have been in foreign lands.”

“Crews that have come from foreign lands, as well,” the second companion said.

“Exactly!” the first companion said, “And what will those crews from foreign lands have brought with them?  They’ll have brought stories.  They’ll have brought stories of mountains as high as the sky.  They’ll have brought stories of kings as mighty as mountains.  They’ll have brought stories of common men as mighty as kings. And princesses and queens and giants and sea creatures.”

“Sure they will,” the second companion said, “That’s what we’re going for.”

“And horizons!” the first companion said, “Not just the horizon we can see from the shore, but horizons beyond that horizon, and horizons beyond those horizons and horizons beyond those.  Infinite horizons.”

“Yes, infinite horizons!” the second companion said, “And infinite possibilities!”

“Infinite is too many,” the first companion said, “Better to know our horizons, better to know our possibilities, better to know love and companionship.”

As the first companion finished speaking, the wood opened up to reveal a cliffside overlooking the sea.  The sky was cloudless and blue, and the sea was blue as well, capped with white foam, the infinity of sky and sea limited only by the far, hazy horizon.

The two companions stood looking at the sky and the sea and the horizon.  Seabirds called.  Below the cliff, a port sheltered a handful of sea vessels.

“Maybe you’re right,” the second companion said, uneasily, “Maybe it is too much.  Maybe we should go home.”  The second companion turned toward the forest road.

“Look at it!”  the first companion said, “It’s infinite!  Come!  We’ll need to find a ship before the tide turns!”