I was wondering if you could help me locate a story. I heard this many years ago and cannot remember the title or author. I was hoping someone out there may have heard of it and know more about it.
It's called something like "The River" and is an allegory about sin, our response and God's response. In summary, 4 brothers are warned against going near a fast-flowing river by their Father. When they inevitably disobey him, they are caught up and swept downstream to a faraway land very different from their Father’s land.
One of the brother’s decides to move in with the natives of this land and indulge in their evil practices. The other brother sets up camp near the first brother to catalogue his evil ways for future judgement. Another brother tries to build a path back up the river using stones from the river bank, with little success. The last brother trusts that their Father will come to bring them back to his land.
Eventually their Father does arrive and meets with the trusting son. The Father tells him to go and collect his other brothers so that he can carry them all upstream. The trusting son tries to convince the first brother, but he is now happy living in this new land. The second son is pleased to hear that the Father has returned but can’t leave just yet as he hasn’t finished writing down all the first brother’s sins. The third brother tells the trusting son that his Father wouldn’t want him to give up trying and he will stay and keep building his path. After the trusting brother confronts him with the futility of his efforts, he aggressively rebukes the trusting brother for his negativity.
So finally the Father travels back up the stream, carrying the trusting son on his back, carrying him back to safety and back to his family.
Any ideas where I might find a copy of this story? For once Google is no help at all!
It's called something like "The River" and is an allegory about sin, our response and God's response. In summary, 4 brothers are warned against going near a fast-flowing river by their Father. When they inevitably disobey him, they are caught up and swept downstream to a faraway land very different from their Father’s land.
One of the brother’s decides to move in with the natives of this land and indulge in their evil practices. The other brother sets up camp near the first brother to catalogue his evil ways for future judgement. Another brother tries to build a path back up the river using stones from the river bank, with little success. The last brother trusts that their Father will come to bring them back to his land.
Eventually their Father does arrive and meets with the trusting son. The Father tells him to go and collect his other brothers so that he can carry them all upstream. The trusting son tries to convince the first brother, but he is now happy living in this new land. The second son is pleased to hear that the Father has returned but can’t leave just yet as he hasn’t finished writing down all the first brother’s sins. The third brother tells the trusting son that his Father wouldn’t want him to give up trying and he will stay and keep building his path. After the trusting brother confronts him with the futility of his efforts, he aggressively rebukes the trusting brother for his negativity.
So finally the Father travels back up the stream, carrying the trusting son on his back, carrying him back to safety and back to his family.
Any ideas where I might find a copy of this story? For once Google is no help at all!
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