FAITH AND ACTION
Franz Kafka has powerfully described faith and action in a story in The Trial. A man comes to the door leading into heaven and begs admittance from the doorkeeper. The doorkeeper says he cannot admit the man at the moment. Although the door leading into heaven stands open, the man decides that he had better wait until he gets permission to enter. So he sits down and waits for days and years. He repeatedly asks to be allowed in, but is always told that he cannot enter yet. During all these long years the man studies the doorkeeper almost incessantly and learns to know the fleas in his fur collar. Eventually, he is old and near death. For the first time, he asks the question, “How does it come about that in all these years no one has come seeking admittance but me?” The doorkeeper answers, “No one but you can gain admittance through this door, since this door was intended…
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