Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth
Three Monks traveled along a mountain road. They talked about cat whiskers, the color of
the sun, and whatever else came to mind. “What makes one happy?” asked the youngest monk.
The old and the wisest monk said, “Let's find out.”
The monks found themselves gazing down at the rooftops of a village below. The monks
knew the village had been through many hard times and villagers had even become suspicious of
their neighbors. The villagers worked hard, but only for themselves. They had little to do with one another.
When the monks came down, the villagers disappeared into their houses and no one
came to the gate to greet them. Even the windows were closed tight. The monks knocked on the
doors but there was no answer. “These people do not know happiness,” they all agreed. “But today we will show them how to make stone soup.”
They gathered twigs and made a fire. They placed a small tin pot on top and filled it with
water. A brave little girl who had been watching came to them. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“We are making stone soup and we need three round, smooth stones,” said a monk. The
little girl helped the monks find three perfectly round stones. “These stones will make excellent soup,” said the oldest monk. “But this very small pot won't make much.” The little girl ran home to get her mother's big pot. “The three strangers are making soup
from stones,” she said.
The monks poked the coals. As smoke drifted up, the neighbors peered out from their
windows. They found the monks, the fire, and the large pot in the middle of the village very
curious, indeed!
One by one, the villagers came out to see just what this stone soup was. “Of course, old-style stone soup should be well seasoned with salt and pepper,” said the young monk. “But we have none.” “I have some salt and pepper!” said a villager and disappeared and came back with spices. The old monk took a taste. “The last time we had soup stones of this size and color,
carrots made the broth very sweet.” “Carrots?” said a woman from the back. “I may have a few carrots!” And she returned with as many carrots as she could carry and dropped them into the pot.
“Do you think it would be better with onions?” asked the other monk. “Oh, yes, maybe an onion would taste good,” said a farmer. He left and returned in a
moment with five big onions. He dropped them into the bubbling soup. Something magical began to happen among the villagers. As each person opened his or her heart to give, the next person gave even more. The monks simply stirred and the pot bubbled. At last, the soup was ready. The villagers gathered together. Everyone sat down to eat. They had not been together for a feast like this for as long as anyone could remember.
After the banquet, they told stories, sang songs, and celebrated long into the night. Then they unlocked their
doors and took the monks into their homes and gave them very comfortable places to sleep. In the
gentle spring morning that came the next day, everyone gathered together to say farewell. “Thank you for having us as your guests,” said the monks. “You have been most generous.” “Thank you,” said the villagers. “With the gifts you have given, we will always have plenty.
You have shown us that sharing makes us all richer.” “And to think,” said the monks, “to be happy is as simple as making stone soup.”
Genesis 17: 1-7 and 15-16 is a story about God filling the empty hearts and souls of Abram and Sarai with a promise. The promise is so important that God marks it by changing their names to Abraham and Sarah! I invite you to read the passage in your own Bible, or here .Abram and Sarai felt that they were empty pots, too. God filled them with a promise that God fulfilled. This promise had little to do with them, and everything to do about God. All they had was their faith, which for me symbolizes the stone that the monks began with. I learn in this passage that it is in God's nature to bless.
No matter how small you feel, how little you think you can offer God, or even your community, it is in God's nature to bless you. Somehow, someway, God is still in the picture. Even in our world today, where God seems absent at times, God is still here. God will still keep the promises of protection (Genesis 9:8-17); to be our God.
*Prayer:
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided;
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
*Great is Thy Faithfulness, United Methodist Hymnal, 140.
In Christ,
Jack
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