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The First Parable

The teacher took the child into the garden to meet the Creator. As they entered the garden, the teacher said, “Now be careful to obey all the rules and regulations.” As they walked along, whenever the child started to touch a flower or reach for a leaf, the teacher would say, “Don’t touch that. That is a special flower and not to be touched.” Or, “Stay away from that area; this is a sacred space where only the Creator can stand.” Or, “Don’t talk so loud; this is a holy place and the Creator doesn’t like a lot of noise.” Or, “Here, memorize these rules; understand and obey them.” When the teacher heard the Creator coming, the teacher said, “Be still now, so you can listen to the Creator.”

But when the Creator came into the garden, the child ran away and hid because the child was afraid. The teacher wondered why.

The Second Parable

The teacher took the child into the garden to meet the Creator. “Now hurry along,” the teacher said. “There is much to see and do in order to meet the Creator.” First they made nametags, and then they played introductory games, made some clay figures, and drew some pictures of the garden. The child started to slow down. “Oh,” said the teacher, “look over at this table. Here is an activity center with all kinds of information about the garden. Come over here and look at all this.” The teacher trotted the child from one table to the next, from one activity to another. “Now,” said the teacher, “I think you understand enough to meet the Creator.”

But when the Creator came into the garden, the child only gave a glancing look and continued going from one activity to the next. The teacher wondered why.

The Third Parable

The teacher took the child into the garden to meet the Creator. First they walked around the garden. “Look at all these beautiful flowers,” the teacher said. “The Creator made these. Look at all the different colors. Aren’t they beautiful? Smell one. Doesn’t it have a lovely odor? Do you want to touch one? It’s o.k.” Then the teacher sat down on a bench. “I want to tell you all about the Creator and the wonderful world in which we live. I want to tell you how much the Creator loves you and all creation. I will tell you about my first trip to meet the Creator. I hope you will tell me about yourself and your household. Tell me what you like to play. Tell me about your friends. What are your hobbies? Do you have any pets?”

And so the day went with the teacher and the child talking to each other about their lives. The child talked almost as much as the teacher. The teacher told stories about the Creator and the world.

When the Creator came into the garden, the child ran up and embraced the Creator; and they explored the garden together. The teacher smiled.

“Three Parables for Teaching” can been found in many teacher training resources. The earliest, from an unknown source, is quoted by Judy Gattis Smith in “Developing a Child’s Spiritual Growth through Sight, Sound, Taste, Touch and Smell” (Abingdon Press, 1983).