A few people said they liked the story of the robin and how it got its red breast. Of course, it is a tale one of the many I have heard to describe how this brave little bird got a red breast. Some of the tales, of course, are based on biblical stories and the crucifixion but I have seen others based on other events.
I suppose it is because they do seem so tame that they are so popular. When I had my allotment I had one that visited me on a regular basis and sat on the handle of my spade until I fed it some seed. it was brave enough to eat it from my outstretched hand.
Memories are wonderful things. While thinking of this event and these tales I found my mind wandering to another time when in one of my "banter sessions" I had with my students that many such tales came up and were debated. I had these sessions because it gave us a chance to relax but it also built up a rapport. it also allowed us to discuss things that would not have appeared in our normal study and often led to some meaningful moments.
The idea was that they could ask me any question on any subject, and we would together try and find an acceptable answer.
Their questions were typical of ones I had received in similar sessions scores of times before. What I remembered was one occasion where one girl who always sat as far to the outer edge of the circle as possible. She was a student who had never said anything in any such sessions before, raised her hand.
Now she seemed desperate to speak she said, "The Bible says God loves everybody. Then it says that God sends people to hell. How can a loving God do that?"
Of course, there were many opinions and answers from the out and out rubbish type, to the fairly well argued theological arguments. At first, I was very happy with how it was going many students making valid contributions.
But no matter the answers she came back with her own arguments. She got angrier and angrier and more aggressive. The other students became wary and the discussion became a straight argument between her and me.
I answered her arguments, and she answered my answers. In the end, it became obvious that there would never be an answer that she would be content with. I brought the discussion to a close and dismissed the session.
As the glass began to leave I approached her and said, "I owe you an apology. I really should not have allowed our discussion to become so argumentative." It transpired that she really just wanted convinced that there was no such thing as a hell where people were to be punished for their sins.
It was then that this high school senior admitted she had been having an affair with a married man. She was in despair of what consequences she might face. I told her another story about a robin where the ending was that the red breast was to hide a red face. I was not being at all flippant and told her in all honesty what I believed that we all make mistakes in life some much more serious than others but she had become aware of a mistake she had made and was feeling sorry about it.
I smiled and told her that even if there was a place called hell I was one hundred percent sure she was not going there. She smiled and said then you and left. The little robin had come to my rescue again.
There is not one of us alive who does not have a skeleton or two in the back cupboard of our lives but guilt is a terrible harbinger of unwarranted pain.
Again as my favourite sage says, "Do not dwell on the mistakes of the past but make them the lessons of the morrow." In other simpler words do not allow past errors to spoil the day.
Have a marvellous day.
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