Preface

In my experience, the biggest hurdle in helping people see Jesus’ love for them is persuading Americans that YHWH, the God of the Bible, is a good father who is perfect in all of His ways.

See - and this point has been put very well by others - Americans don’t just believe that Christianity is incorrect (ex. 2+2=5), they believe it is immoral (ex. cheating on a test).

The ideals of Americans - whether we live by them or not is irrelevant here - are believed to better than those of YHWH:

1. That the love they aspire to is greater than the narrow way of salvation through Jesus alone.

2. The mercy & justice they hope for is purer than the eternal damnation prescribed in the Bible.

3. And that the god that they’d serve would never create a world with an ounce of undeserved suffering.

That if YHWH is real, He may very well be all powerful but he’s not good; He is not perfect in all of His ways. And, therefore, His charging mankind with evil falls on deaf ears as an incompetent judge doesn’t deserve to execute justice and a crooked King should not reign. 

This is America.

So, 3 weeks ago when asked to give a charge at a middle school graduation for a homeschool association - let the reader understand - I thought it would be helpful to craft a message dealing with these objections.

Why?

Good question! It’s because at 13 - despite being raised in a Christian home - I quietly thought Christianity didn’t make sense and was low-key immoral.

Like, what do you mean that because I committed one fault against God I deserve eternal damnation?! Like how does that math work?

And given the sober projection that by 2050 42 million youth raised in Christian homes will walk away from a life with Jesus I figured I might be speaking to 27 “13 year old Dave’s” on that graduation day.

So, I decided to charge them to work hard at seeing that YHWH is truly good, perfect in all of His ways. I did this by writing an allegory.

You can watch the speech here, read a copy of the story below 👇️ and here’s an annotated version to help unpack the allegories hidden meanings.

Quick Word On The Allegory:

1. By design, the allegory is to be participatory. Please try this with friends, believers and non-believers alike.

2. Instead of reading it all the way through, try to come up with a fair and just punishment for the Dug Triplets and a defense for it before reading the King’s decision.

3. There were 27 in the graduating class including twins. I tried to include that in the story to immerse them in the narrative.

4. Again, here’s an annotated version of the allegory unpacking it’s hidden elements, including how many people - Christian and non-Christian alike - have a very different view of justice and grace than YHWH does in His gospel of Jesus Christ.

Finally, would love to know what you think! Feel free to drop me a line ([email protected]).

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King Kralj’s Judgement

Act 1: The Assault

Long ago, in the days when Croatia was a kingdom ruled by the righteous King Kralj, there arose a great stir. 

The story goes that King Kralj, after graciously admitting his 3 Economic Stewards - known as the Dug Triplets (although spelled D-U-G it is pronounced “doog” never “dug”) - into his court, was shockingly pinned down by Kim & Charles Dug and spat on and slapped by Maxwell Dug.

As quick as the assault was, the imprisonment of the Dug Triplets felt quicker. Nonetheless, word of the assault got out and news of the violence spread throughout the kingdom.

Of the 27 court officials present on that terrible day, there were twins, a Mia & Mila, who King Kralj sent to question the Dug Triplets while imprisoned. 

Upon questioning, it was discovered that the Dug Triplets had planned this for some time and that the only reason it was Maxwell who spat and slapped the King, was decided by a one-round elimination game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. Maxwell chose rock and Kim and Charles chose paper. 

What the twins also discovered was the reason for the assault. Now, there was murmuring in the kingdom that maybe the king had committed some atrocity against the Dug’s that would somehow justify this, but the triplets readily admitted that the cause of their anger was that they disagreed with the King’s economic policies released last quarter. As mentioned, they were King Kralj’s Economic Stewards, and they felt that the King’s policies would, in time, harm the kingdom in unimaginable ways. 

As there was no precedent for this as such an act had never been done before and as the Dug Triplet’s had never violated a law until that day, the King called his Counsel of 27 - including the twins! - into his chamber to advise him on what would be a fair and just punishment for the infamous Dug Triplets?

Now, here I’d love to do some role playing. 

If only I could find 27 people to play the King’s Counselors and man, wouldn’t it be amazing if there were twins in the bunch? Wouldn’t that be something?! Where could I find such a random group…..AHA!

Council, I, King Kralj am asking you to come up with a majority opinion as to what is a fair and just punishment for the Dug Triplets.

Select a foreperson who, when you’re ready, will read your proposed sentence.  

You have 3 minutes.

The grad’s decision: Maxwell Dug is to have his hand cut off!

Act 2: The King’s Decision

Finding his counsel’s recommendation inadequate, the King decided execution for all three Dug Triplets to be the fair and just punishment.

Bowed before the king and facing the crowd the Triplets shook in fear as they awaited death. The King’s only son, the prince, standing to the right of them all, handed His father the sword. With one stroke the King is to finish this. With a face of rage, the King swung the blade over head and cut through flesh, but only one head rolled. That of his son. 

King Kralj then untied The Dug’s, helped them off their feet and invited them into His palace.

Shocked and deeply confused, Matthew Dug the spitter and slapper asked, “King, why did you kill the prince in our place?”

Tears streaming down His face, the King said, “the just punishment was death.”

Kim, who pinned the King down said, “But you gave his life for our 3. Shouldn’t there be 2 more deaths?”

The King replied, “No, Kim. If this Kingdom were under attack, every soldier in the kingdom would give their life to save the prince. His life is worth the lives of many…”

End Story.