HATS

Mark Nicholas

Once upon a time there was a small town. One day God came to visit. He showed them a new way to live. He told them He had to go away but would come back for all those who wished to live with him.  “I will return,” He said, “and take all those who are wearing a hat to live with me. And we shall spend eternity together. Tell everyone the good news, for I have plenty of room.”

And so the people rejoiced, they put on their hats and told
everyone around the good news, and they put on hats. There was great joy among those wearing hats, and those not wearing hats saw the joy of those wearing hats. And desiring to have their joy, they listened and wore hats.

But there came a shadow in the town, for those who wore hats
noticed that all the hats did not look alike. Some were red, some blue, some were bigger than others. And the thought arose that maybe only a certain color or size of hat would do. So disagreements arose, and they argued amongst themselves. As time went on those wearing hats divided up into smaller groups, those with certain colors or sizes. And the only time they spoke was to expound on their choice of
hats and to explain why the other hats were not good enough. And the early joy was lost.

Slowly over time, those wearing hats turned inward, concentrating on the inward debate, studying the message God had left in order to prove the proper color and shape of hat to wear.

Now those who do not wear hats are in several groups. There are those who feel God never really meant what he said, and so wearing hats is foolish. There are those who have asked about the hats, but have gotten so many variations of answers they stopped asking. There are those who see no joy in those wearing hats, so they see no reason to join them.

And there are those who stand back and laugh, saying to
themselves, “Can’t they see they are all wearing hats?”