“Why are we living in this damp cave, like animals?”

Because, my child, we are tolerant loving people who never discriminate against anyone. But it wasn’t always like this.

Long ago, ‘2+2=4’ was true for everyone except her. If there were two apples in a basket and she put two more in, the total number was five. It happened every time. And when she pulled two apples away from the five, there were only two apples left in the basket. The phenomenon worked with other objects too, not just apples. She would add two chairs to a pair of chairs at a table and the result was seating for five.

She was the subject of endless scientific studies that revealed nothing. There was no slight of hand. No hidden gimmicks. The rules of mathematics were different for her. Her truth was not our truth.

During the dark ages, everybody lived by the same mathematical principles. These were rigid, immutable rules that lacked compassion. Arithmetic was a graceless process of manipulating cold, uncaring numbers. Math was wholly separate from individual lived experiences.

Then she came along and shined a light on our selfishness. She forced us to ask ourselves, “Should civilization be structured around the needs of the majority?” Fortunately, there were enough progressive minds in positions of power to rightly respond, “No!”

Every aspect of society was adjusted to accommodate her truth. Economics, education, government, religion, and even science had to be discarded. Some said the collapse of civilization was an unparalleled catastrophe but others saw it as a glorious rebirth of mankind.

Now, my child, help me gather earthworms for our supper.

“The worms talk to me, grandfather. They are my friends and it is wrong to eat friends.”

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

(Philippians 2:3)