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Cracked Cisterns

by Terry Barlow
02/03/16
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    Today the first day of February was a unseasonably mild day, such that my wife noticed bees around some wilting blossoms beside our back porch.  One of the bees wandered over to our picnic table and began exploring a pot of artificial yellow flowers.   She expected that it would leave once he realized they were artificial, but, no, if the bee did realize their artificiality, it didn’t discourage its interest.

“Why would that bee persist, wouldn’t  it become obvious to it that there was no pollen or nectar?”  She wondered aloud.

“Maybe the vivid yellow color was enough to maintain its attention, even though it wasn’t a natural yellow. ”  I suggested.

“Or maybe it never figured out it wasn’t a real flower, so it kept trying hoping for a different result.  Not very bright.”

“We humans do the same kind of thing.  We seek satisfaction in artificial sources (like material possessions and entertainment, or professional recognition) that can’t possibly provide any lasting satisfaction.”

“Never thought of it that way.”

“For my people have done two evil things:  They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water.  And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water.”   (Jeremiah 2 v13)