Posted as a comment to
"The towers are still falling" on
ddjangoWIrE
Your hurricane analogy is a bit lacking... it wasn't an act of nature that attacked and destroyed the World Trade Center towers. It was evil men with evil intent, backed by and funded by other evil men. Let me suggest another analogy that better symbolizes what has and is going on...
There is a big Unusually Strong man living on the block. He uses his strength to work hard and has become quite wealthy. The reactions of the other men who live on the same block are varied. Some choose to make friends with the Unusually Strong man, working with him for their mutual gain. Some choose to stay clear of him, and even band together in groups to compete with him (often to the benefit of all, but that's another story). Still others hate and fear the Unusually Strong man, some are envious and seek to work subtly to undermine the Unusually Strong man. A few evil, very weak, and mentally unstable men form gangs and seek to strike out in any way possible to hurt and kill the Unusually Strong man.
Over the course of a few years, agents of these weak and evil men sent little biting flies to annoy the Unusually Strong man, to gauge his reactions. The Unusually Strong man, unfortunately, often half-heartedly swatted at the flies. He occasionally missed and even injured innocent men while trying to swat the biting flies.
Finally, one September 11th, a gang of sickly and weak men, whose hearts desire is to subjugate the world under their intolerant and evil religion, and (by the way) elevate themselves to the tyrannical rulers of the block, caused some of the tools of the Unusually Strong man's hard work to go awry and strike him bodily and symbolically. They caused damage that might well have felled some of the lesser men on the block. Momentarily stunned, the Unusually Strong man assessed the situation. He had been attacked. The agents of the attack were identified, they weren't actually men, but a virus. The Unusually Strong man was able to determine that this virus of evil was afflicting one of the smaller weaker men living in the middle-east side of the block. Galvanized by the pain of the attack, the Unusually Strong man applied medicine to the Afflicted man, breaking the virus' hold on the small weak man. Though his healing continues, the fever of the virus no longer holds sway over this Afflicted man.
Still, the wiser parts of the Unusually Strong man knew that the virus was still out there and needed further treatment. Another Ill man from the middle-eastern side of the block, with no love for the Unusually Strong man, had been actively helping the virus, and was even seeking ways to make the virus more deadly. One of the reasons that this Ill man had no love for the Unusually Strong man was that some ten years prior, this Ill man had beat up one of his brothers and stole all of his things, the Unusually Strong man and a fair portion of the rest of the block had come over and put things to right. It was only the pleas of the brothers of this Ill man that had stopped the collition of neighbors from completing a cure then.
The Unusually Strong man turned to his neighbors for aid and assistance in finally affecting a cure of the Ill man. A few of the Unusually Strong man's long time friends, and a few new friends who had dealt with their own debilitating illnesses just a few short years before saw the justice and honor of the Unusually Strong man request and agreed. Unfortunately, others of his neighbors (who were secretly enriching themselves off of the illness of the second weak man) stood in the way, and attempted to block the Unusually Strong man with words and rhetoric. Even though, for the past ten years these treacherous Uncaring Neighbors had decried the fate of the Ill man, and had "worked for a cure" (they defrauded and stole from the Ill man), they could not be convince to finally apply the medicine that would cure him.
After nearly a year of listening to the treacherous Uncaring Neighbors, the Unusually Strong man and his stalwart friends undertook the actions necessary to cure the Ill man. It was a quick and relatively painless procedure at first, but some of the weak nearby mid-block neighbors took the opportunity of their brother's treatment to afflict more illness into him. Though he is recovering, it is becoming more costly for the Unusually Strong man and his allies. Soon, the Unusually Strong man must make a choice as to whether he will continue to do good in the world, or curl up in a ball and lick his own wounds. Hopefully, his wisdom will remain and he will continue to treat his patients.
Already there have been positive effects linked to the Unusually Strong man's actions. A brother of the Ill man started his own cure. Another brother of the Ill man wavers and may start his own treatment from within, as well. Parts of the Unusually Strong man would ignore these good things, abandon the Afflicted man and the Ill man to the ravages of illness (and their brothers, and neighbors).
Let us pray for the continuing Good Wise Benevolance of the Unusally Strong man.
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