By Faith And Not By Sight

Once upon a time, there was a beggar. Early each morning, with his tin cup in hand, he would walk from the outskirts of town and cross over a bridge which led to the downtown section of the city. There he would stand on a certain busy corner, shake his tin cup as people walked by, and call out a blessing to those who dropped in a coin or two…

For years the beggar carried out this routine, day-after-day following the same route to the city, crossing the same bridge and standing on the same corner. And, most mornings, as he crossed the bridge, he would pass two philosophy students walking the other way toward the University.

After a while, the students began to take an interest in the beggar’s situation. “If he were placed in different circumstances,” said one, “he might not be out begging everyday.” The other student didn’t entirely agree, and the discussion continued for a while until, finally, they…