One World

33) A Bee in my Ear

Posted 16th August 2016

A couple of weeks ago, I sat on a bench and ate a light lunch. I then gathered up the wrapping (2 flavoured milk cartons and a sandwich wrapper) and set off on a walk. I was slightly irritated carrying the litter, and realised I wouldn't encounter a public bin for another mile or so. However, I was approaching a 'wheelie' bin belonging to a house owner, who had recently had their rubbish collected. I thought, should I? It would mildly annoy me if someone used my wheelie bin as if it were a public bin, so I'd better not. I looked around, no-one would see me do it! What the heck, I thought, and opened the wheelie bin lid and dropped in my litter. No sooner had I closed the bin lid when a bumblebee flew directly into my upper ear, and bounced off. It gave me a little fright, and was mildly irritating. This made me laugh to myself - it was as if I was seen in my minor infraction where I dealt a mild irritation to an innocent wheelie bin owner, and had been dealt immediate commensurate punishment - a mildly irritating kamikaze insect hitting my ear. I say 'as if', but it may have been exactly as it seemed, that is, swift and appropriate punishment from an all powerful intelligence.

Imagine that - if every misdemeanor was immediately met by an act of exactly measured and appropriate justice administered by an omnipotent and perfect wisdom. How long would it be until everyone on this Earth began to behave themselves, and do what is best for all people, for all time to come?:-

Red Dwarf - "The Justice Field"

On Friday, I was walking along a footpath along the side of a corn field. A flock of about 30 house sparrows flew up from the path about 20 feet before me, having heard or saw me approach. I love house sparrows - I wondered what they had been eating. When I arrived at where they had been, I saw a few heads of corn trampled into the path, which, presumably, had released the corn and attracted the birds. I walked twenty or thirty feet further on, then, without thinking, I grabbed an ear of corn from a stalk.

I ran the ear through my hands, against the grain, and released most of the corn. I then took a piece of corn and put it in my mouth - wondering if it was edible, but found that it was very hard. I kept it in my mouth a minute or so as I continued walking, then tried biting on the corn piece again - and found it had softened. It didn't taste of anything, but I found I could chew it and then I swallowed it. I thought about taking another ear of corn and eating all the corn pieces, then I noticed the farm house about a quarter of a mile away. I wondered if I could be seen. I realised I was too far to be seen by anyone in the farmhouse if I didn't act conspicuously. So, while looking forward, my right hand went out from my side, I grabbed an ear of corn, and brought it back to my side. This way, the corn field blocked my minor theft from view (I was now fully aware I was stealing, albeit a very small amount. But I was bored, it wasn't the crime of the century, and I wanted to chew on more softened corn). Then I remembered the bumble bee, which made me realise that, although the farmer probably couldn't see me, someone or something possibly could. That omnipotent intelligence possibly knew exactly what I was thinking, and knew that I was aware of my minor crime. Now, I still wanted the corn pieces, but I didn't want the equivalent punishment that the crime might cost me. The corn seeds simply weren't worth it. They were only worth having if there was NO retaliatory punishment, that is, if they were free. If an omnipotent intelligence and power existed, no sleight of hand or false protestation of not knowing what I was doing would mask my culpability. So, unable to return the detached ear of corn to the stalk I took it from, I brushed out all the corn pieces and let them fall on the path. This way, I wouldn't get a piece, and the innocent little house sparrows would get them all.