The Magnificent Train

 

An allegory of the magnificent train:

 

There was once a great designer who engineered a masterful feat. He built a train unequal to any train of its time. It was the most powerful and efficient ever known. A special set of tracks were laid 2300 miles from east to west. On the inauguration of the train’s first mission, it rapidly increased to its maximum cruising speed of 68 mph in less than 2 minutes. It pulled 100 cargo cars effortlessly. 

 

It could make the coast-to-coast journey without stopping for fuel in only 34 hours. It proudly traveled into the sunset and sunrise for many, many months until one day it began to notice the beautiful mountains, valleys, rivers, streams, and lakes. It was haunted relentlessly. Oh, how it wished its designer had laid the tracks a little closer to these wonderful displays of grandeur. It grew more and more agitated and envious as it traversed the flatlands until one day, it noticed the lights and bustle of the large cities and towns. Its resentment and anger grew toward its designer with every mile. It wasn’t until it saw these spectacular vehicles with round rubber wheels that could turn and go in any direction at a whim and displayed the freedom it had grown to covet. It was at that moment that the train decided to be free. 

 

When the moment was ripe, it had calculated that if it could reach 72 mph and apply the brakes at just the right instant and just the right pressure, and at just the right bend in the tracks, it could create a chain reaction behind it that would cause its load to promptly bump it just enough to leave the tracks that imprisoned it. Sure enough, at just the right place and just the right moment it set its plan into action. The brakes were applied at 72 mph, and the reaction was swift and effective. 

 

The train became airborne and for those eternal seconds it felt the exhilaration and euphoria of a freedom it had never known. But as gravity would have it, its velocity and height diminished, and it crashed to the ground. The explosion was great and when the smoke and dust cleared and all came to rest, there lay a heap of mangled scrap metal and wire. Still, as months and years passed, and as other trains rushed by, they heard from the rusted heap a whimpered echo, “I’m free, I’m free”.

If this allegory does not speak for itself, note that our Creator has designed us in glorious splendor. But we became disillusioned at the purpose for which our Creator had designed us. We rebelled and launched ourselves from His care and wrecked our lives, yet we are content to think that we are free.