Michael
08-10-2005, 02:11 PM
This is an old story, one of my favorites:
When the Bishop’s ship stopped at a remote island for a day, he determined to use the time as profitably as possible. He strolled along the seashore and came across three fishermen mending their nets. They explained to him that centuries before their poor village had been visited by missionaries. "We are Christians" they said, proudly pointing to one another. The Bishop was impressed. Did they know the Lord’s Prayer? They had never heard of it.
"What do you say, then, when you pray?"
"We lift our eyes to heaven, and we pray, ‘We are three, You are three, have mercy on us.’"
The Bishop was appalled at the primitive, inadequate nature of their prayer. So he spent the whole day teaching them the Lord’s Prayer. The fishermen were poor illiterate men, and slow learners, but they gave it all they had. Before the Bishop sailed away the next day, he had the satisfaction of hearing them go through the whole prayer without fault.
Months later, the Bishop’s ship happened to pass by those same islands. They stopped at a neighboring island. That night, as the Bishop strolled back and forth on deck, he recalled with much satisfaction, that the three men on that island were now able to pray, thanks to his patient efforts. While he was lost in thought, he happened to look up and noticed a spot of light on the water, near the island. The light kept approaching the ship, and as the Bishop gazed in wonder, he saw three figures walking on the water. When they came closer, he could clearly see that it was the three fishermen, each smiling and waving, and glowing rather brightly.
"Bishop," they called out, "we are so sorry. We forgot your lovely prayer. We remember, ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed by They Name’, and then we forget the rest. Please teach us to pray again."
The Bishop swallowed, then said, "Go back to your homes, my friends. And each time you pray, say, ‘We are three, You are three, have mercy on us.’"
When the Bishop’s ship stopped at a remote island for a day, he determined to use the time as profitably as possible. He strolled along the seashore and came across three fishermen mending their nets. They explained to him that centuries before their poor village had been visited by missionaries. "We are Christians" they said, proudly pointing to one another. The Bishop was impressed. Did they know the Lord’s Prayer? They had never heard of it.
"What do you say, then, when you pray?"
"We lift our eyes to heaven, and we pray, ‘We are three, You are three, have mercy on us.’"
The Bishop was appalled at the primitive, inadequate nature of their prayer. So he spent the whole day teaching them the Lord’s Prayer. The fishermen were poor illiterate men, and slow learners, but they gave it all they had. Before the Bishop sailed away the next day, he had the satisfaction of hearing them go through the whole prayer without fault.
Months later, the Bishop’s ship happened to pass by those same islands. They stopped at a neighboring island. That night, as the Bishop strolled back and forth on deck, he recalled with much satisfaction, that the three men on that island were now able to pray, thanks to his patient efforts. While he was lost in thought, he happened to look up and noticed a spot of light on the water, near the island. The light kept approaching the ship, and as the Bishop gazed in wonder, he saw three figures walking on the water. When they came closer, he could clearly see that it was the three fishermen, each smiling and waving, and glowing rather brightly.
"Bishop," they called out, "we are so sorry. We forgot your lovely prayer. We remember, ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed by They Name’, and then we forget the rest. Please teach us to pray again."
The Bishop swallowed, then said, "Go back to your homes, my friends. And each time you pray, say, ‘We are three, You are three, have mercy on us.’"