A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, “Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.”

God led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, “You have seen Hell.”

They went to the next room and opened the door. “This is Heaven,” God proclaimed. It was exactly the same as the first one! There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, “I don’t understand.”

“It is simple,” said the Lord. “It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.”

It’s funny how often we speak of unity and helping the next man, then quickly turn around and continue to practice the same divisiveness that got us where we are. The only way we can ALL prosper is if we take the time to assist our neighbor in ascending.

With that being said, I pledge to be there for you. If you ever find yourself in need, call on me. If I can help, I will. Will you make the same pledge?