Parable of the Wells
Long ago, men learned how to dig wells to find the purest water. Some men dug and, when they hit water, they claimed it for themselves. They filtered it, packaged it with their name and brand, claimed it was the only thing that could truly satisfy thirst, and sold it. They convinced people that no other water could possibly quench their thirst and suddenly everyone was thirsty. People suffered and died because they couldn’t afford to buy water. They became so busy toiling for money to buy water that they forgot all about digging wells.
Everyone had the chance to find water for themselves if only they had bothered to dig. But instead they just blindly believed those who already had it. They thought, “Who are we to dig a well?” And worshiped the owners of wells like gods. Forgetting that they were just humans like any other. These man-made gods then declared that all wells other than their own should be destroyed. They convinced the people who had become reliant upon them to fight in their names. Great wars broke out and the people started to see themselves as divided.
One day an exceptional man dug his own well and found water. He tasted it and his thirst was more satisfied than it had ever been. He rejoiced because he was now free from the shackles and toils of the life he had been living. He realized that they had all been deceived. Anyone could dig for themselves and find water that was even better than what they were being sold. So he offered the water he drew from his well unfiltered, unpackaged freely to everyone who would try it. When the people tasted that water their eyes were opened to the truth and they realized they had been deceived. They asked this man how to dig a well and he taught them how he had done it. They went home and did what he had said to do, but only a few found water. Some gave up and went back to buying it, but others continued to dig until they found water themselves.