The Donut: a parable

This was emailed to me from my niece in Texas: Mrs. Lisa Shapiro




>The Donut

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr Christianson, a
>studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States.
>
> Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity
>at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this
>course his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.
>
> Although Dr Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of
>the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the
>course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most
>students refused to take Christianity seriously.
>
> This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve
>was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto
>seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was
>an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school
>football team, and was the best student in the professor's class. One day,
>Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.
>"How many push-ups can you do?" Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
>"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you
>could do 300?" Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a
>time." "Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson. "Well, I
>can try," said Steve. "Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project
>in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to
>work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the
>professor. Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it" Dr.
>Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain
>what I have in mind."
>
> Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the
>room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No,
>these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG
>kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited
>it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an
>early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.
>
> Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked,
>"Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" Cynthia said, "Yes."
>Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten
>push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" "Sure." Steve jumped down from
>his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr.
>Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk. Dr. Christianson then went to
>Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?" Joe said,
>"Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can
>have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went,
>down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they
>got her/his donut.
>
> Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott
>was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very
>popular and never lacking for female companionship. When the professor
>asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my
>own pushups?" Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them." Then
>Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."
>
> Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked,
>"Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't
>want?" With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said,
>"HEY! I said I didn't want one!" Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my
>classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on
>the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.
>
> Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just
>stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be
>getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming
>out around his brow.
>
> Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were
>beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do
>you want a donut?" Sternly, Jenny said, "No." Then Dr. Christianson asked
>Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut
>that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.
>
>By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were
>beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.
>Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these
>pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the
>floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because
>of the physical effort involved.
>
>Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the
>class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten
>pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for
>all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so
>Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.
>
>Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however,
>some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps
>along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor
>realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students
>in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
>
>Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near
>the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a
>lot more time to complete each set.
>
>Steve asked Dr Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"
> Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups you
>are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr.
>Christianson went on.
>
>A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and
>was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't
>come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up
>his head and said, "No, let him come." Professor Christianson said, "You
>realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him?"
>Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut" Dr. Christianson said,
>"Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do
>you want a donut?" Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on.
>"Yes," he said, "give me a donut." "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that
>Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great
>effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
>
>Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those
>visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each
>push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this
>time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound
>except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.
>
>The very last two students in the room were two young women, both
>cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second
>to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?" Linda said, very
>sadly, "No, thank you." Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would
>you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"
>Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.
>
>Then Dr Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a
>donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr.
>
> Christianson, why can't I help him?" Dr. Christianson, with tears of his
>own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he
>is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether
>they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class,
>I looked my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect
>grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me
>inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player
>messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to
>my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a
>deal for your sakes." "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a
>donut?" As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the
>understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having
>done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
>
>Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our
>Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thy hands I
>commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that
>was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this
>room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."
>
>Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically
>exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done, good and faithful
>servant," said the professor, adding "Not all sermons are preached in
>words."
>
>Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might
>understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have
>been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus
>Christ. He spared not His only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all,
>for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept
>His gift to us, the price has been paid."
>
>"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"