The great artists, writers, music and poets became great
because they acquire the habit of relying upon the ‘still, small voice’ (
instinct), that speaks from within, through the faculty of creative imagination.
It is a fact well known to people who have keen imaginations that their best
ideas come through so-called “hunches”. –Napoleon Hill
About the master piece “The Son” and the question “who’ll
take the son”, let me tell you the story behind it:
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of
art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They
would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam
conflict broke out, the son went to war.
He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing
another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a
knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his
hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son
gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety
when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked
about you, and your love for art.”
The young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t much.
I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to
have this.”
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son,
painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured
the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes
that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to
pay him for the picture.
“Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me.
It’s a gift.”
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time
visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he
showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great
auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing
the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their
collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son.
The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture
of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. “We want to
see the famous paintings. Skip this one.” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will
someone bid for this painting? Who will start the biding? $100, $200?”
Another voice shouted angrily. “We didn’t come to see this
painting… We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real
bids!”
But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son!
Who’ll take the son?”
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was
the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.”
Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
“We have $10, who will bid $20?”
“Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.”
“$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?”
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture
of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gravel. “Going once, twice, SOLD
for $10!”
A man sitting on the second row shouted. “Now let’s get on
with the collection!”
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction
is over.”
“What about the paintings?”
“I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I
was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that
stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned.
Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the
paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!”
God gave his son about 2,000 years ago to die on the cross.
Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, “The son, the son, who’ll take
the son?”
Because you see,
whoever takes the Son gets everything.
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