Two Sides to Every Story (Perceptions: Unspoken Givens and Shared Assumptions May Not Be…)

Where this story came from I do not know, but it speaks so well that it is worthy of sharing this morning.

“About a century ago, the Pope decided that all the Jews had to leave Rome.  Naturally there was a big uproar from the Jewish community.  So the Pope made a deal.  He would have a religious debate with a member of the Jewish community.  If the Jew won, the Jews could stay.  If the Pope won the Jews would leave.

The Jews realized that they had no choice.  They looked around for a champion who would defend their faith, but no one wanted to volunteer.  It was too risky.  So they finally picked an old man named Moishe, who spent his life sweeping up after people, to represent them.  Being old and poor, he had less to lose, so he agreed. Moishe asked only for one addition to the debate rules.  Not being used to saying very much as he cleaned up around the settlement, he asked that neither side be allowed to talk.  The Pope agreed.

The day of the great debate came.  Moishe and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers.  Moishe looked back at him and raised one finger.

The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head.  Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine.  Moishe pulled out an apple. The Pope stood up and said ‘I give up.  This man is too good.  The Jews can stay.’

An hour later, the cardinals were all around the Pope asking him what happened.  The Pope said, ‘First, I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity.  He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still one God common to both our religions.  ‘Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us.  He responded by pointing to the ground, showing that God was also right here with us.  ‘I pulled out the wine and the wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins.  He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin.  He had an answer for everything.  What could I do?’

Meanwhile, the Jewish community had crowded around Moishe, amazed that this old, almost feeble-minded man had done what their scholars had insisted was impossible!  ‘What happened?’ they asked.  ‘Well,’ said Moishe, ‘first, he said to me that the Jews had three days to get out of here.  I told him that no one of us was leaving.  Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews.  I let him know that we were staying right here.’  ‘And then,’ asked a woman.

‘I don’t know,’ said Moishe.  ‘He took out his lunch and I took out mine.’”