HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO EVERYONE!

Who'll  Take  the  Son?

                                                            Tran Dieu Chan

 A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art.
 They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Rafael.
 They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

 When the Viet Nam 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
 he 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 live.  He saved many lives
 that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet stuck
 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 bidding? $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
 long-time 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 gavel. "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 every thing!"

 God gave his son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel 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.
                                            Tran Dieu Chan