The Table

There once was a carpenter

Who made a table

He used the best wood

And was very good and able

To make it level

And the corners smooth and beveled

And it was the best of the best

Better than all the rest

As tables go…

He made a shelf, too

For storage and all the things you do

And a cabinet for stew

And salads and food for me and you

And he was proud as proud could be

Of all the furniture that was intended to be

Things of beauty for the entire family…

And he worked night and day

To install and mount them all in a way

That would beautify his house

And make everyone glad

That they had such beautiful furniture

And a place to make stew

And salads and food for me and you

And he measured and hammered and screwed them in

To the walls of the house and the floors and beams

And we all admired what would seem

To be the best of the best and fulfill our dreams…

But when we put a glass of tea

On the beautiful table that was made for you and me

The tea wasn’t level

On the table with the corners beveled

And the spaghetti ran to the side of the dish

And dishes were leaning when we served fish

And all the furniture leaned to one side

Made by the carpenter with so much pride

Because you see

The furniture was the best it could be

But the house it was in

Was crooked and not level

Was leaning and even with a perfect bevel

On each corner of the table

That was made as well as the carpenter was able

The house was leaning

All to one side

The floor was crooked

And the carpenter cried

“I made everything the best and mounted it inside,

But when the house is not right,

It’s an awful sight,

For nothing you measure or do

Can be straight, or right, or true.”

This poem is an allegory about justice and rightness in this world. Even if you do everything perfectly, the world is so crooked and so messed up that nothing can work quite right until the entire “house” is set where it should be – straight and level on a firm foundation.

Good people die, plans turn into a lie, and perfection can turn to failure as we build onto and inside of a house that is completely crooked.

Have you ever walked inside of a house that isn’t level? You can’t even cook eggs without them running to one side of the pan. The clothes washing machine bobs up and down during the spin cycle, and liquids in a glass are never level. Have you ever mounted a picture frame on a wall that isn’t straight and true? Even if you use a level to make the frame straight, it looks crooked on the wall.  It isn’t the frame that is crooked, but the wall itself.

Life is that way. We make perfect plans, have wonderful dreams, and have people we cherish in our lives, but often things don’t work out. The walls, the floor, and the ceiling of this world are all crooked. Your “furniture,” or plans, may be perfect, but they will never be level, straight, or true in a world that is crooked.

Why are the ones we cherish taken from us? Why is evil not punished? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do people make such bad choices? Isaac Newton said, “I can calculate the movement of stars, but not the madness of men.” Why – a million times why…

“And for this reason, he looked for a city, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews chapter 11… Abraham is one example of a person who knew that this world is crooked. He lived in tents, a temporary dwelling with no foundation. This world is temporary – and it is crooked. And it will (most likely) disappoint anyone who tries to build something permanent into it. It won’t be level, or straight, or true.

Copyright by Randy Stahla, 2008

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