Gifts of Heaven · Volume 2 · Chapter 296

The prayer house with the two landmarks

2nd June 1843

For Wilhelmine H., a short heartwarming parable.

[1] In one place there was a large prayer house, and this prayer house had two bell towers. One of them was decorated with a cross, the other with a weather vane.

[2] A respectable father passed the two-towered prayer house with his twelve-year-old daughter on the way to some store just down the road. Then the sharp-sighted daughter noticed the glaring difference in the ornaments on the towers and asked the father about it:

[3] "Good Father! What does that mean, that one tower is decorated with a cross and the other with a weather vane?”

[4] And the father replied to the daughter: "See, this is a double mark for thinking people! The cross on one of the towers reminds us of the old church, which stood firm in faith and love for God. The weathervane of the other, newer tower, however, resembles the present church. It lets herself be turned and driven by all sorts of worldly winds, both in it's teaching and in it's actions, and soon it will no longer know who is the cook or the waiter!

[5] The daughter, however, looked into her somewhat excited father's face, and said: "Dear Father. Don't be so worked up, for the flag may have it's use after all! Besides, I myself have seen you looking at the flag more often than at the cross!”

[6] And the father replied: "Yes, yes, you are right, my child! See, also this is necessary, however, that one should not be disadvantaged in his spirit's health by the great instability of the church weather! Do you understand such things?"