The Parable of the Tools by Davin Dahlgren, May 1996 A carpenter began to build a house. He had many tools which he used to accomplish various tasks. He had a saw for cutting. He had a hammer for driving nails. He had a measuring tape for making everything fit together according to his plan. One day, as the saw surveyed the progress, it remarked to the hammer, "What a marvelous thing it is to build a house! It is a fine thing I have done!" At this, the hammer was surprised. "What have you done? You just cut things, but I put them together!" The saw was offended. "I am an important tool! For without me, the boards would not fit!" This made the measuring tape speak out. "Without me, you would not know where to cut!" The hammer laughed. "But surely you cannot suggest that my power is not more necessary than both of yours! Without me, the boards might fit, but they could not stay in place." "Come," said the saw, "let us see who is the greater. I will cut, the tape will measure, and you will pound. Then we shall see whose job is the most necessary." The measuring tape spun itself out to show its great length while the saw scratched away furiously at a nearby board. The hammer pounded on some nails which lay nearby; all the tools worked furiously at their great works until they became tired. As they lay panting from their effort, the hammer noticed the box of nails next to it. The nails were quietly observing all the commotion. "You have seen all that we have done. Tell us, which of us performs the greater works?" The box of nails replied, "We have watched you all carefully and this is our judgement. We have seen the measuring tape reeling itself out to measure all the surfaces around us, but look now -- it has tied itself in knots and the kinks will not allow it retract itself. We have seen the saw scraping and scratching at every surface around us, and see -- the edges it has cut are not straight and every place it has been is marred and cannot be used in a prominent place in the house. We have seen you O hammer, pounding away at our fellows there before you, and while your power is great, you have only bent them. Behold, even the wood is bruised where you struck it. Therefore, our judgement is that no one of you is great. For without the carpenter, you can do nothing. As nails, we do nothing. But the carpenter places us where he wants us and then drives us home. Though it is painful to receive the blows you give us, mighty hammer, we obediently accept them as necessary for the carpenter to build his house." The hammer scoffed at this. "So then, the nails think that they are the greatest, for they are the most abused! Do not forget that I strike my head against you, and certainly the saw is grieved when it is sharpened." The nails continued, "You have missed our point. It is not we who are great, but the carpenter who places us. We are only useful when he uses us. We have seen you try to work for your own glory -- you only succeed in hitting the carpenter's thumb. Be thankful that he is patient, or you would be thrown away in anger. It is only when you place yourself in the carpenter's hand and allow him to guide you that you strike straight and true at the nail he has placed." [Return to Spiritual Studies]