‘The Communal Wine’

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27th March 2024

There was once a tribal group living deep in the jungle with a very wise elder as their leader.

He as a leader not only led his people well but could also be seen giving meaningful guidance of life to his people.

One beautiful day, he gathered all the heads of the respective families in the village.

They were all given an invitation to dine together at the elder’s house.

The elder told each of them to bring a glass of wine with them. All the wine would then be poured into a big wine jug, which would then be shared together.

The decided day came, and each one of the invited family heads came representing their own family, bringing with them a glass of their best wine as instructed.

They could see a big wine jug already prepared there even before they stepped in the elder’s house.

One by one they poured their wine in the jug before entering the house and then started their dinner together.

When the dining was over, the elder welcomed them to drink the wine taken from the communal wine jug.

One by one they drank the wine, and on each face, an anxious confused look was carved right away.

What happened?

Not long after, the elder asked, “How was the wine? Did it taste fine?”

One of the family heads answered, “Oh, elder, what I drank just now was not wine at all but more like plain water.”

How could it be like that?

Every family head presents their thought in their heart,

“I’ll just bring with me a glass of plain water, it won’t make any difference anyway, since it will then be poured and mixed with all the good wine others bring.

Besides, nobody would know that I have brought plain water. After all, it won’t change the taste of the other good wines that much.”

In our lives, we often think that whatever unpleasant deeds we do, it wouldn’t make much difference to the whole, but imagine if everyone did it that way.

We are part of the change, we are part of the whole, and the whole is made of one and others like us, we do make a difference with what we do, and what we choose to be, counts!

Do your best always, you do make a difference, and stay blessed forever.