A Christmas Story
All the people of the village were afraid their families would go hungry, so they hid what small amounts of food they had from their friends and neighbors. Starvation was picking them off, one by one.
In the story “Stone Soup,” a stranger comes to town with a stone and a gift. While everyone in the village was ruled by fear and starvation, the stranger showed them that by having faith and sharing, all could be saved:
“We have no food to give you, we have barely enough for ourselves,” the desperate villagers said.
“Oh, I have everything I need,” he said. “In fact, I would like to make some stone soup to share with all of you. It is a secret recipe that has been passed down in my family for generations. Once you learn it, you will never go hungry.” With winter quickly approaching and not enough food to eat, the villagers gathered around in wonderment. “Stone soup?” They proclaimed, “Why I have never heard of such a thing!”
The stranger pulled a big black cooking pot from his wagon, filled it with water and built a fire under it. Then, he reached slowly into his knapsack and, while several villagers watched, he pulled a plain gray stone from a cloth bag and dropped it into the water. “It will be a little thin, but sufficient,” he said while stirring. “Too bad I don’t have a few vegetables to flavor it, then it would be a feast indeed!” He smiled at the people crowded around him, added some spices from his sack and continued stirring. Wonderful smells began to fill the air.
Soon a miracle began to unfold, curiosity caused one to run and grab some cabbage. Another brought a couple carrots. Even the butcher found some scraps of meat to contribute. When everyone had added their small part, they produced a feast for the entire community.
That’s how Christ taught us to react to times of crisis. When the disciples needed to feed a group of thousands in the desert, Jesus asked, “What do you have?” After they had brought Him even the small amount that they had, Jesus multiplied it, and met the needs of everyone.
Similarly, the stranger who made stone soup brought a community from fear to gratitude with a stone and an invitation. We here in Alaska have found ourselves in a famine of sorts and many people are afraid. Our natural instinct is one of self-protection. Make sure my needs are met, my job is secure, and my interests are upheld. We can even defend this kind of thinking, even call it the American way. But at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission, we believe there is another way. With your help, we can join together like the villagers in the folktale above and help those who are hurting.
Even the smallest gift can have terrific impact. When you give to the Fairbanks Rescue Mission...
83 cents of every dollar given is used for direct service to someone in need.
Each of us knows what it is like to want. Each of us holds in our hands a way to diminish someone else’s need. This Christmas, join us in sharing our “stone soup,” Give a gift this Christmas in remembrance of the gift that you have been so freely given
