Moose, Quank & other Christians....

[HokeyReligions]

This was sent to me and made me think of you. It's long, but if you have the time I think its an interesting read. I hope no one bashes it - its not meant for philosophical discussion - its just an interesting view that I (an Agnostic!) thought would share.

 

> Don't leave it on the desk

>

>

> There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr Christianson, a

studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States.

>

> Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity

at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this

course his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

>

> Although Dr Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of

the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon

the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts,

most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

>

> This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve

was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto

seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he

was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the

school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could

talk with him.

>

> "How many push-ups can you do?"

>

> Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

>

> "200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you

think you could do 300?"

>

> Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."

>

> "Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.

>

> "Well, I can try," said Steve.

>

> "Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I

need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can

you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.

>

> Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it"

>

> Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let

me explain what I have in mind."

>

> Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front

of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of

donuts.

>

> No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the

extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone

was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they

were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr.

Christianson's class.

>

> Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and

asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"

>

> Cynthia said, "Yes."

>

> Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would

you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

>

> "Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then

Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's

desk.

>

> Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked,

"Joe, do you want a donut?"

>

> Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do

ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

>

> Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down

the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got

their donut.

>

> Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott.

Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He

was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

>

> When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

>

> Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"

>

> Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

>

> Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

>

> Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked,

"Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't

want?" With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups.

>

> Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!" Dr.

>

> Christianson said,

>

> "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are

my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a

donut on Scott's desk.

>

> Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He

just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to

be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration

coming out around his brow.

>

> Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students

were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny,

"Jenny, do you want a donut?"

>

> Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

>

> Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten

more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve

did ten....Jenny got a donut.

>

> By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The

students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten

donuts on the desks.

>

> Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get

these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of

sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to

get red because of the physical effort involved.

>

> Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal

unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he

did the full ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all

of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to

where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

>

>

>

> Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his

class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat

down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the

room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw

that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if

Steve would be able to make it.

>

> Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and

the next.

>

> Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time.

He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

>

> Steve asked Dr Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch

on each one?"

>

> Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your

pushups You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want."

And Dr. Christianson went on.

>

> A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to

the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one

voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

>

> Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head

and said, "No, let him come."

>

> Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes

in you will have to do ten pushups for him?"

>

> Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut"

>

> Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's

out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

>

> Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes,"

he said, "give me a donut."

>

> "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a

donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason,

bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

>

> Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on

those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with

each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity.

By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no

sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

>

> The very last two students in the room were two young women,

both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the

second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

>

> Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

>

> Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten

push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from

the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.

>

> Then Dr Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do

you want a donut?"

>

> Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr.

Christianson, why can't I help him?"

>

> Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has

to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing

that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or

not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked my

grade book.

>

> Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone

else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work.

Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must

do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless

he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your

sakes."

>

> "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding

that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350

pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

>

> Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said.

>

> "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead

to the Father, 'into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the

understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He

yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us

leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."

> Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat,

physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

>

> "Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor,

adding "Not all sermons are preached in words."

>

> Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you

might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy

that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ. He spared not His only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for

us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose

to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

>

> "Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on

the desk?"

[KittenMoon]

Nice. I'm not religious, but I think that's a pretty good point about life in general.

[quankanne]

perfect timing! This being the season of Easter and all ..

 

thanks, Hokey.

[aleatoryd]

Damn I need a donut now! (I'll avoid press ups if I can)

 

Great post. Salvation is a freely given gift... but we have to remember the price that was paid for our sakes. Whether people believe in the Christian faith or not this is a fine example of the nature of sacrifice.

[suegail]

Thank you for posting that....that was amazing. What an ingenious way to explain the gift of salvation. I love it.

[littlekitty]

I'm not religious either, but that was a nice story with a good point.