194- The Discarded Obelisk

Ted stood amongst the youth looking at an obelisk-shaped stone which looked very beautiful in its three sides while the fourth one was not touched by the artist. This obelisk stayed on the floor for thousands of years in a stone quarry at Aswan, in Upper Egypt and no one accomplished it or even placed it in the entrance of the city or in front of the altar.

The youth heard the words of the tourist guide saying, "One of the pharaohs, mostly Tohotmas the third, wanted to build the largest obelisk in the world so he chose a piece of granite, the base of which is 14 X 14 square feet, and its weight was estimated 1170 tons. The Egyptian artists carved the designs on its three sides. Then, they discovered that there was a fault so they stopped their work after all the efforts exerted. Here is the stone lying in front of you not suitable to be placed in front of any Egyptian city or to be put in front of any altar. Truly, it is a unique piece of granite which cost a lot of money and effort but could not be accomplished because of its defect."

Ted returned to the hotel with his colleagues but could not eat. He left them to walk alone outside the hotel and the picture and the story of the obelisk stayed in front of his eyes.

He looked towards heaven saying, “Now I understand.

No unclean animal could enter heaven.

Pharaoh refused to enter a city in Egypt or an altar with a defective obelisk.

How God could allow the unsanctified to approach His Heavens?”

"They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one" (Rom. 3.12).

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: المسلة المرذولة.

+But thanks, God for Your great love,

You sacrificed Yourself so as to wash us with Your blood

That we can approach the bosom of God.

+ The stone obelisk has been thrown on the ground thousands of years

Because of a minor defect.

God, let me not be thrown away because of a folly in my life.

God, help me to be protected from sin and any sinful thoughts

Lest I should be thrown outside with the stone obelisk.

A Pin or a Scorpion’s Sting

Short Stories (Stories for the Youth) Books by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

A Sudden Meeting