AN APPEARANCE OF GRACE
AN ALLEGORY
Written October 3rd-9th, 2007
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Mara. This little girl was born with physical deformities, so that her parents were ashamed for her to be seen in public. For many years, the child grew up in bitterness, hiding herself from all others. When she took the chance of being seen in order to go outside and play, Mara would take great handfuls of earth and smear it upon her face and arms in an effort to disguise her ugliness. Her childhood was spent alone in fear and anger at the pitying and disgusted glances that were cast upon her by all who looked on her.
As she approached adulthood, Mara began to cover herself with bright, heavy clothes and veils, thinking to direct all attention to her garments, rather than what lay beneath. In this manner, the people around her were led to forget what she looked like, and paid attention only to the rich garments.
Far into adulthood Mara continued in this manner, on the surface beginning to believe that the outer image was the true one, and willing herself to not even see what lay beneath. She lived alone, yet did much in the service of the community, adding to her image of comeliness. In this manner, she lived a life of emptiness and denial.
One day, as she was out helping a widow and two children, Mara’s veil was pulled away from her face and fell to the ground. Upon seeing her deformed visage, the widow recoiled in disgust, and the two children began jeering with hateful words. The noise of the children drew a crowd to them, and soon the entire village had seen or heard of Mara’s ugliness.
The young men of the village tormented her, holding her veil away from her, and plucking aside her heavy robes to show her twisted form. The young women likewise scorned her, mocking her ugliness, and taunting her with their own youthful comeliness. Also, the elders of the village looked upon the deformed woman with disgust, and railed upon her for deceiving them of her true appearance.
After this, Mara was stripped of all but the thinnest of her garments, and was cast out of her house into the dirt of the streets. For many days she lived there, mocked and scorned by the passersby, and abused by the children who played nearby. Though the woman sought desperately to cover her deformities with layers of mud and dust, the people of the village only tormented her more because of the filth that she hid her countenance in.
One day, even as she cowered beneath a hail of garbage and dirt, a shout rang out, startling the jeering children into stillness. Mara peered out from beneath her cowering position, astonished to see a man standing by the children berating them! Her astonishment grew as she saw the richness of the man’s clothing, and the golden gleam of a crown upon his head. The king, for that was who he was, was full of anger, and spoke sternly to the parents of those children,
“Why dost thou permit your children to torment this woman?”
Then the villagers became defensive, and were quick to cover their sins. “Lord, we have naught to do with this woman, for she is deformed, born into the filth thou see she is covered with. Neither should thou, Lord, have aught to do with her, for she is unclean, and worthy not even for your spit to touch her.”
On hearing the diatribe of the villagers, Mara moved to creep away, but was halted by a hand touching her bowed head. “Hear not their words, my child, for their own voices condemn them.” Turning his face back to Mara, the king said, “Go, woman, to your house. Wash yourself and take your place before me with the rest of my people. Fear not, for none shall harm thee.”
The king then turned back to the villagers. “You call this woman unclean, seeing how her form is blotted and stained with filth. You, however, have shown how your own hearts are unclean with the filth of pride, deprived of mercy, and stained with ungratefulness. This woman is mine, as all your people are mine; thou art no better than she. It is not your right to so judge any of your fellow man, for she is no less than thee.”
Then Mara obeyed the king’s words, and went up to her house; none moved to halt her. She washed herself, removing the filth from her body, and put on the rich clothing she had worn before. Then she went forth to the feast that had been prepared for the king and his court.
When the woman came there, the king saw how she had covered her face with a veil, and bade her remove it. Mara hesitated, unwilling to show her ugliness. The king, however, spoke to her softly, saying,
“Thou canst not believe in my benevolence until both you and I have looked upon your face and not turned away from the sight. If thou deny your own body, and the contempt it brings, you deny the grace I have given thee.”
Then Mara obeyed, drawing the veil away from her face, and freely beheld the love in the king’s face. “Child,” he said, “I see thy face. Come, enter this house, sit thee down, and eat. I have named thee as one of my own, and none can change my word.” And Mara wept.
Then she went within the house, seated herself at the table, and ate her fill. And no man there spoke ill to her, nor spoke they ill of her, for the woman belonged to their Lord.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Mara. This little girl was born with physical deformities, so that her parents were ashamed for her to be seen in public. For many years, the child grew up in bitterness, hiding herself from all others. When she took the chance of being seen in order to go outside and play, Mara would take great handfuls of earth and smear it upon her face and arms in an effort to disguise her ugliness. Her childhood was spent alone in fear and anger at the pitying and disgusted glances that were cast upon her by all who looked on her.
As she approached adulthood, Mara began to cover herself with bright, heavy clothes and veils, thinking to direct all attention to her garments, rather than what lay beneath. In this manner, the people around her were led to forget what she looked like, and paid attention only to the rich garments.
Far into adulthood Mara continued in this manner, on the surface beginning to believe that the outer image was the true one, and willing herself to not even see what lay beneath. She lived alone, yet did much in the service of the community, adding to her image of comeliness. In this manner, she lived a life of emptiness and denial.
One day, as she was out helping a widow and two children, Mara’s veil was pulled away from her face and fell to the ground. Upon seeing her deformed visage, the widow recoiled in disgust, and the two children began jeering with hateful words. The noise of the children drew a crowd to them, and soon the entire village had seen or heard of Mara’s ugliness.
The young men of the village tormented her, holding her veil away from her, and plucking aside her heavy robes to show her twisted form. The young women likewise scorned her, mocking her ugliness, and taunting her with their own youthful comeliness. Also, the elders of the village looked upon the deformed woman with disgust, and railed upon her for deceiving them of her true appearance.
After this, Mara was stripped of all but the thinnest of her garments, and was cast out of her house into the dirt of the streets. For many days she lived there, mocked and scorned by the passersby, and abused by the children who played nearby. Though the woman sought desperately to cover her deformities with layers of mud and dust, the people of the village only tormented her more because of the filth that she hid her countenance in.
One day, even as she cowered beneath a hail of garbage and dirt, a shout rang out, startling the jeering children into stillness. Mara peered out from beneath her cowering position, astonished to see a man standing by the children berating them! Her astonishment grew as she saw the richness of the man’s clothing, and the golden gleam of a crown upon his head. The king, for that was who he was, was full of anger, and spoke sternly to the parents of those children,
“Why dost thou permit your children to torment this woman?”
Then the villagers became defensive, and were quick to cover their sins. “Lord, we have naught to do with this woman, for she is deformed, born into the filth thou see she is covered with. Neither should thou, Lord, have aught to do with her, for she is unclean, and worthy not even for your spit to touch her.”
On hearing the diatribe of the villagers, Mara moved to creep away, but was halted by a hand touching her bowed head. “Hear not their words, my child, for their own voices condemn them.” Turning his face back to Mara, the king said, “Go, woman, to your house. Wash yourself and take your place before me with the rest of my people. Fear not, for none shall harm thee.”
The king then turned back to the villagers. “You call this woman unclean, seeing how her form is blotted and stained with filth. You, however, have shown how your own hearts are unclean with the filth of pride, deprived of mercy, and stained with ungratefulness. This woman is mine, as all your people are mine; thou art no better than she. It is not your right to so judge any of your fellow man, for she is no less than thee.”
Then Mara obeyed the king’s words, and went up to her house; none moved to halt her. She washed herself, removing the filth from her body, and put on the rich clothing she had worn before. Then she went forth to the feast that had been prepared for the king and his court.
When the woman came there, the king saw how she had covered her face with a veil, and bade her remove it. Mara hesitated, unwilling to show her ugliness. The king, however, spoke to her softly, saying,
“Thou canst not believe in my benevolence until both you and I have looked upon your face and not turned away from the sight. If thou deny your own body, and the contempt it brings, you deny the grace I have given thee.”
Then Mara obeyed, drawing the veil away from her face, and freely beheld the love in the king’s face. “Child,” he said, “I see thy face. Come, enter this house, sit thee down, and eat. I have named thee as one of my own, and none can change my word.” And Mara wept.
Then she went within the house, seated herself at the table, and ate her fill. And no man there spoke ill to her, nor spoke they ill of her, for the woman belonged to their Lord.
FINIS
absolutely, astonishingly beautiful! extremely well written, too!
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing this, Rebekah!
Alesha