THE house with a flag flying atop it, looked with disdain at the neighbouring home, with no flag on it, “No flag?” it asked. “It’s an invisible one I fly!” said the home with no flag, “the people within my house don’t need a flag above expressing what they believe in but believe it should be expressed through their lives!”
The flag on top of the house waved slightly unsteadily at the thought, even as the home which flew the flag asked roughly, “And what kind of lives should those that live within you reveal that manifests itself in the invisible flag atop of you?”
The home with no flag, smiled and whispered, “When those within show through their lives, qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, then their lives will be the invisible flag that flies above me! Because that flag is the fruit of the root!”
“Fruit of what root?” asked the building with the flag atop. “The root on whom the flag’s beliefs are based upon. And when the root is a divine one, then the fruits that it produces will also be heavenly for the people around to taste!” “And those fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?” asked the house with the flag that had now stopped fluttering.
“Yes, indeed!” said the home with the invisible flag flying atop it. Those people walking outside can see those fruits in the lives of the people who live within me, and that is the invisible flag that flies above!” The home with the flag atop, stared hard at the flag flying above and asked, “Are you a fruit of the root you are rooted to?”
“Yes, of course,” said the flag. That’s what all flags are!” “And do you have all the lovely qualities that the invisible flag on adjoining building has?” Asked the home, staring even harder at flag on top.
“That question can only be answered by the lives of the people within you,” said the flag, “Do our people show love to one another and to their neighbours? Is joy and happiness reflected on their faces? Is there deep peace within them or restlessness and unruliness? And are they patient and tolerant to those who follow a different path of faith and do they show kindness even if they form a part of a majority?
Are they faithful to the law and constitution, and gentle to even their enemies? And do they exercise self-control and restraint in their language and speeches or are their words that of hate and anger? It was not the lack of wind that made all the flags put up over all the homes to droop wondering if those who lived below had fruits that reflected a Divine root or not ..!
—Email: bobsbanter@gmail.com
