First, here are some key points to note…
For sake of time and length, I did not go into great detail about the key points in the original article, but please note the following:
The boy who bought the bicycle truly did not know it was stolen, nor did he personally know the person from whom he bought it.
The bike truly was a one-of-a-kind custom build, unlike any bicycle anyone could buy in stores or order online.
It was not until months after the bike was stolen that the original owner saw it out and about, and was able to track it to the house wherein the kid who bought it lived.
I added the descriptor, “Of a different ethnic group,” for a reason; that point was not thrown in randomly.
And now that the key points to remember are out of the way, I’ll proceed…
The “mother of a different ethnic group and her young son” who knocked at the door were what many would identify as “Black”; the family who were the new owners of the bicycle were what many would identify as “White.”
The “months” that the bicycle was ridden around and enjoyed by the kid who bought it are representative of actual centuries.
The one of a kind bicycle originally owned by the little “Black” kid represents the land and heritage of a people from a small country located in the northeastern part of the continent of Africa, which interestingly enough, is situated roughly between the same latitudinal lines as Southern South Carolina, and Southern Georgia (both located in the Southeastern United States—for those of you who may be international readers).
SUMMARY
Some 1,950 years ago, a Northeast African tribe known as The Tribe of Yahuda (there’s that “my people who are called by my name” theme from 2 Chron 7:14 again) was divided against itself, fighting a bloody civil war while at the same time fighting a war against Rome, who had four years earlier launched a siege against the land of Yahuda, all because of an incident that took place in 66AD, whereby the Yahudin revolted against Roman citizens, Roman forces and their pro-Roman fellow countrymen in government. This event triggered a powerful military response from Rome.
When all was said and done, some four years later, the Romans had broken through the walls of the fortified city of Jerusalem, burned their sacred temple to the ground, looted all their artifacts, and either slaughtered or captured & enslaved the inhabitants. Those who managed to survive, did so by fleeing further south and west into the African continent. With their unity broken and their homeland destroyed, the scattered remnant of the tribe of Yahuda lived in exile as either servants or wanderers; and have never since returned.
As the months after the fall of Yahuda became years and the years became centuries & generations, not only had the tribe (or kingdom) of Yahuda lost its land, but through an inquisition by a world power (Spain), the rise of global Christianity (predominantly Roman Catholicism) and the transAtlantic slave trade, they would in time also lose both their language and knowledge of their heritage, as they settled into the populations of various different nations around the world (either as slaves or freemen). – ref Deut. 28:62–65; Deut. 4:27–28
Today and apparently through divine providence (or prophecy by some accounts), the remnant of the once mighty Kingdom of Yahuda have “seen their bicycle” (awakened to the knowledge of their lost heritage) and have begun reclaiming it—even if only by word and personal recognition (knowledge of self). With them, they have brought the “police report” (the prayers and cries of the ancestors whose spirits have not rested), the “registration card” (ancient scriptural text) and “receipts” (historical documentation), much to the apparent disdain of those who have seen these people as little more than the offspring of “African slaves.”
So, in closing, for all those who chose Option A at the end of The Parable of the Extraordinary Bicycle (originally posted July 19th), my question is as follows…
Knowing the explanation of the parable and how it applies, would you still choose Option A, or would you now change your answer to Option B? Why?
(Leave your answer in the comments below)…
All the Best!
—MT
Matt D. Talford is a writer, narrator, and author of three books: “Stuck In An Elevator” – a fictitious tale of passion and self-discovery; “Captain’s Mate: A Practical Guide for Tennis Captains, League Players and High School Coaches”; and his award-winning debut title: ”From Fear to Faith: A Survivor’s Story” – a memoir about overcoming a rare form of what he calls “the C-word.” All three books are currently available in paperback at www.talfordarts.com or at Amazon.com; and in eBook format on Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks. “From Fear to Faith: A Survivor’s Story” is also available in audiobook (narrated by Talford himself) at iTunes, audible.com, and at many other sites where audiobooks are sold. For information on these and other products, click the “shop” link in the menu.
