The Pizza Parable

Behold, a certain young maiden did often times and at strange hours greatly desire a pizza. This would often happen in the second or the third watch, when home delivery was not available. At such times there would be much weeping and gnashing of teeth because she could not have the desire of her heart.

And so she spake thus with herself: "If I would but learn to make my own pizza, then when the desire cometh upon me in the night hours, I shall be able to have pizza straightaway, without waiting for the pizza merchants to re-open when the cock croweth."

The following day she sought out the school of one Papa Giuseppe, who gave instruction on the making of pizza.

The maiden had not long been in the presence of her new Master before she learned that a pizza base consisteth wholly of flour, water, yeast, salt and sugar. Because she was loathe to wait continually upon her Master, for the many hours of study that he required of his disciples, she departed from his presence straightway after hearing of the ingredients.

When she was in her own home, she did search until she had found all of the necessary items, and she put an equal measure of each into a large earthen vessel, and did eat from it.

"Pshaw!" she exclaimed, as the ingredients spewed forth from her mouth. "The truth is not in my Master," she reasoned with herself. "This food tasteth badly of salt and yeast. I will go to him and remonstrate him for his deception."

"I have not wronged you," said the good Master when he had heard the maiden's story. "If you had continued steadfastly in my word, like my true disciples have done, you would have learned the correct measure for each of those ingredients."

The maiden was humbled beyond measure by this new revelation. "Surely, I was too impatient with Master Giuseppe," she said. "I will return to his class a second time, and hear more of what he has to say."

And so she listened once again to the words of the great pizza maker, until she was fully instructed in the ways of weights and measures.

She did hide all these things in her heart (and on the notepad in her laptop computer), after which she made haste to leave the classroom and return home once again. There she made use of that which she had learned from the Master. Her weights and her measurements were without equal throughout all the land.

But lo, her labours failed yet a second time, for that which she produced was of the nature of silly putty. It did take the shape of whatsoever vessel wherein it had been placed. "My hand runneth over," she said upon trying to pick up a piece of the pizza. And upon biting into it, there was not the familiar crunch in which her soul had taken such delight in days gone by. Instead, her mouth was filled with softness, and the taste was that of the glue which the scribes do use when binding their books.

She returned to her master, greatly distressed, and did enquire as to why he had taught her such untruths.

"But I have not misled you," said the kindly Giuseppe. "The mixture must first be cooked, before it is meet for human consumption."

Alas, the poor maiden was humbled yet again. Nevertheless, though she returned many times to the Master's feet, each time she learned a new truth, she believed that she was his equal, and that she had no further need to learn from him. Because of this, her learning was painfully slow.

Now there were certain other foolish students like herself, who hurried off to try what they had learned from Papa Giuseppe as well. But when their "pizzas" fell short of the glory that they had so desired, they cast aside all hope of making pizzas and returned to peanut butter sandwiches instead. Their hearts became hardened against the good Papa, and they blamed him for their failures, when it was these foolish students themselves who were the cause of their own problems.

Our young maiden was foolish for not being faithful in her attendance at the pizza-making classes; but she was less foolish than her equals, because she returned to learn more when her own understanding failed.

So learn a lesson from the foolish young maiden. Follow your Master faithfully, and do not stray from his side until you have hidden in your heart all that he hath to say.

And learn likewise from the wisdom of the foolish young maiden. For, if you should stray from the way, do not heap scorn on your Master or on those whom he may have used to show you some small part of the truth. If your efforts fail, return to him and learn again the hidden truths that can only be learned by one who is of a broken and a contrite heart.

Dave here: I don't often write "cute" articles like this, because the style can so easily blind people to the message. The message is a serious one. Denominationalism grew from people running off with one truth, and using it as an excuse to scorn those who possessed other parts of the truth. And atheism has grown from the tendency to blame God for our own finite understanding of his will. All who wish to develop into true leaders must first learn how to follow, and to wait patiently for the right time to step out.

Dave McKay and his wife Cherry are co-founders of the Jesus Christian communities, with bases in Sydney (where they live), Nairobi, London, and Los Angeles. Their website is jesuschristians.com You can write to Dave himself at fold@idl.net.au

Chicago limo Skokie ..

In The News:

Technology expert Kim Komando gives her tips and tricks on enhancing your user experience a smartphone and other devices you use everyday.

A new camera called NUCA uses artificial intelligence to create deepfake photos of subjects by stripping away clothing in close to real time.

The Kimberley Kube trail-ready camper has a compact but spacious design and combines luxury, functionality and ruggedness for a weekend getaway.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Emails instructing you to reset your password for an account may be legitimate, or they may be scams. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.

Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle aims to revolutionize undersea missions — it glides through the ocean without human assistance.

Learn how to work Google's calendar application to streamline and organize your daily tasks from technology expert Kim Komando.

If you do not want Facebook to have automatic access to your private photos, follow our tips to protect yourself. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson goes into detail about Apple’s recent iOS update that allows iPhone users to instantly translate spoken language simply by using the Action Button.

Safeguarding your digital life with a reliable physical backup isn't just a precaution, it's a necessity. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides the essential backup checklist.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how a Redditor exposed false recycling claims at their apartment, highlighting a report that only 21% of U.S. recyclables are processed.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson offers a travel toolkit featuring five technology tools to help you with booking flights and hotels for your summer vacation.

The bubble behind the clock on your iPhone can appear in different colors. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what each of those colors mean.

Scammers are using the power of artificial intelligence to mimic voices of people and are using the fake voices to commit crimes, like kidnappings.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the science behind the Invisibility Shield, a 6-foot shield that makes people become invisible.

The International Olympic Committee on Friday announced plans to use AI in various Olympic aspects, including athlete identification, training and judging.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains an easy trick to avoid squinting while working or surfing the web by zooming in on your personal computer.

Streaming giant Roku has recently been targeted by a pair of cyberattacks, and the company confirmed over a half million Roku accounts were compromised.

The Land Aircraft Carrier combines an all-terrain, six-wheeled vehicle with a two-seat aircraft, which features electric vertical takeoff and landing.

The European Union has sent TikTok a "request for information" on the video sharing platform's newest app, TikTok Lite, under the Digital Services Act, with the aim to clean up social media.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The FBI is warning the public about a recent phishing scam via text that claims its targets owe money in Pennsylvania for unpaid road toll charges.

Your Apple Music settings may be revealing to your contacts what you're listening to. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the process to change those settings.

Learn how to secure social media accounts, implement legacy contacts, and create a digital estate plan to protect your online assets from 'ghost hackers' after your death.

The Pizza Parable

Spirituality