What is the 'empty sack', you ask?

The in-laws were coming for a visit for the holidays. I was researching where we could possibly catch a service when I looked at the website for the church across the street, St. John Amelith. Mind you, I'm no Christian, and they are no Lutherans (Methodists, actually), but when it's freezing outside and there's a Lutheran church across the street . . . well, you see my point. Plus, the original owner of our farm, George Schnell, is one of the church's founders. It just seemed right.


In my research, I realized that the pastor of the church posts his sermons from the previous week. In his 12/13/09 sermon, "Let Your Reasonableness Be Known to All" ( a weighty and worthwhile title if ever there were one), he told the story of three men, each carrying two sacks, one in front and one on his back. The first man carried all the good things others had done to or for him on his back. In his front sack was all the bad - so he could pull it out and examine it periodically. Needless to say, he wasn't getting too far in life.

The second man carried all of his own good deeds in front, so he could show them to others or examine them himself at will. On his back? The mistakes he had made, weighing him down so heavily that his journey through life was a chore.

The third man? Well, it seems he carried in front all of the wonderful things others have done for him in his life. They gave him joy, making his steps light, and being that they were in front, they pulled him forward. On HIS back? Oh, that's where he kept all the wrongdoings of others and his own mistakes, however, he had cut a hole in the bag, so they never wore him down. Instead, as he was propelled forward in his joy, they fell behind him, leaving his sack empty and his load light.

That is my wish for this year. I am trying to carry an empty sack on my back and one full of joy in sight.

It reminds me of the old Middle Eastern parable whose moral teaches to write everything good done to you in stone, everything bad done to you in sand. This way, all the good deeds are permanent, but the bad ones blow away in the wind.