Jesus Fails to See the Humor Here

I really enjoy proverbs. Words are most impressive when they are few in number but full of meaning. I like Chinese proverbs best. I like how Chinese proverbs give importance to things that we, as Americans, have forgotten; “When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.” Let’s be honest, an American would never say such a thing.

I like how simple words allow the counterintuitive to seem obvious, “Deep doubts, deep wisdom; small doubts, little wisdom, ” say the Chinese.

I’m convinced that if a man were born and the only texts he was ever given were the Tao Te Ching and the Confucian Analects, that man would be happy. If he were given a Bible, I’m not so sure. I mean, this artist's rendition of Confucius seems believable enough. Compare that to this depiction of Jesus. Not so believable, is it? Meanwhile, you know that Lao-Tzu is feeling quite the pimp up there on his lotus chair. I think I have proven my point.

I love true wisdom was discovered independently by many cultures: “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others,” say the Chinese. Christians express the same idea in the golden rule, which finds a corollary in most every major religion. It’s truly amazing.

Lao-Tzu said, “To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease.” This is Socratic Wisdom in a nutshell: “Well, although I do not suppose that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I am better off than he is - for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows. I neither know nor think that I know." I’m not saying that what makes it true is that lots of people thought of it. I’m saying that it’s amazing that so many were able to discover the same truth independently of each other. And, I wanted to take this opportunity to ask Santa for a Lotus Chair for Christmas.