THE PARABLE OF THE OLD WOMAN

(faith statement of the U.S. Grail. 1988)

THE OLD WOMAN,
               STRONG FOR HER YEARS
               AND WISE BEYOND HER YEARS,

HAD MANY DAUGHTERS.

DAUGHTERS OF SUNBURNED PRAIRIE,
               RED CANYON, DUSTY MESA,
               SWAMP AND BAYOU,
               MOUNTAIN AND VALLEY,
               OCEAN SANDS,
               CITY . . . VILLAGE . . . FARM.

LOVING THEM DEARLY,

THE OLD WOMAN
               SENT THEM FORTH INTO THE WORLD,

SETTING FOR THEM
               THE TASK OF WEAVING THE WEB OF JUSTICE.

AND TO EACH DAUGHTER
           THE OLD WOMAN
           GAVE PRECIOUS GIFTS

TO THE ELDEST,
               COMPASSION FOR THE TIMID, THE FEARFUL,
               THE DESPERATE, THE OUTCAST.

            TO THE SECOND,
               THE HEART OF A CLOWN FOR LAUGHTER THAT UNITES.

AND TO THE OTHERS,
               PERSISTENCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
               PASSION OF ANGER AGAINST OPPRESSION
               A CALMING TOUCH IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS,
               TEARS FOR THE SUFFERINGS OF OTHERS,
               DREAMS OF BRIGHTER TOMORROWS,
               COURAGE TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE,
               A MEDITATIVE SELF OPEN TO THE BREATH OF THE SPIRIT,
               GRACE FOR SHARING OF HEARTH AND HOME WITH FRIEND AND STRANGER

AND TO THE YOUNGEST,
               REVERENCE FOR ALL THAT HAS GONE BEFORE.

AND MOST PRECIOUS GIFT OF ALL,

THE OLD WOMAN GAVE TO EACH
               A PIECE OF THE VISION OF THE WEB OF JUSTICE,
               A VISION OF
                   “ THE RADICAL CALL OF THE GOSPEL
                   FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD.”

AND IN THE SOUL OF EACH DAUGHTER,
               THE VISION BURNED,
               LIGHTING THE WAY
               FOR HERSELF AND FOR OTHERS.

NOW THE DAUGHTERS SETTING FORTH
                TO WEAVE THE WEB OF JUSTICE
               WERE GUIDED BY MANY SIGNS.

   MANY FOLLOWED THE CHRIST.
               ONE LIVED THE SACRAMENTS.
               ANOTHER DWELT IN FERVENT PRAYER.
               A FOURTH DISCOVERED THE WAY OF ZEN.

ONE COLLECTING FAITH-EVOKING SYMBOLS,
               HUNG THEM FROM THE CROSS.

OTHERS SOUGHT WISDOM OF THE GODDESS,
               OR OPENED THEMSELVES TO THE ENERGIES OF THE COSMOS.

AND THE MANY SIGNS LED TO MANY PATHS.

THERE WERE THOSE WHO TOOK ON
               THE HUNGRY, HEART-SORE JOURNEY WITH THE POOR,
               OTHERS MARCHED AGAINST RACIAL STRIFE.
               SOME RAISED THEIR FAMILIES,
               SOME RAISED OTHER PEOPLE’S FAMILIES.
               SOME JOINED THE STRUGGLE FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS.
               SOME WROTE POETRY, DANCED, PAINTED, OR STICHED.
               SOME LEARNED THE LANGUAGE OF SCHOLARS.
               A FEW TRAVELED FAR, BUILDING SCHOOLS AND
                   HOSPITALS AND HOPE.

SOME PLANTED IN THE FIELDS.
           OTHERS HARVESTED.

THE DAUGHTERS TOOK MANY PATHS,
               YET EACH PATH
               CONNECTED TO THE WHOLE.

AND THEY DISCOVERED IN THE CONNECTIONS
               STRENGTH IN EACH OTHER,
               REST FOR THE WEARY,
               SOLACE FOR THE LONELY,
               AND THE VISION MADE WHOLE.

SO THE DAUGHTERS WOVE ON
               STEADILY,
               FITFULLY,
               BOLDLY,
               PAINFULLY,
               STRIDING,
               STUMBLING,
               FALLING,
               RISING.

AND SO THE WEB OF JUSTICE GREW

FRAGILE, MENDED, BROKEN,  TOUGH.
DEEP WITHIN ITS CRISSCROSSED THREADS
ON-LOOKERS CAUGHT GLIMPSES EVEN IN THE DARKNESS
OF SINGING, DANCING, STORY-TELLING,
FEASTING, FASTING, MEDITATING, PRAYING,
BIRTHING, DYING.

AND OF THE DAUGHTERS FINDING EACH OTHER
IN THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
AND THE SHARING OF THE CUP.

IN TIME,
ONE BY ONE,
DAUGHTERS DROPPED THE THREADS,
STOPPED WEAVING,
SLIPPED HOMEWARD.

AND THE OLD WOMAN
SENT FORTH YOUNGER DAUGHTERS
WHO FASTENED
NEW THREADS TO THE OLD WEB LINES
AND THEN WOVE ON,
PUSHING AT THE BOUNDARIES
OF THE OLD WEARY WORLD,
TRUE TO THEIR VISION
OF A FAITH-CENTERED
LOVE-BOUND,
JUSTICE-FILLED
NEW WORLD.

A WORLD IN WHICH ALL SHARE JOYFULLY
IN THE FRUITS OF THE EARTH,
THE ENERGIES OF THE SUN,
THE TIDES OF THE MOON,
THE LIGHT OF THE STAR

AND THE OLD WOMAN

Written by Ruth Gallant in behalf of the assembled group