The Chicken and the Pig

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,take up his cross, and follow me...What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"

I Can Fly

by R. Kelly

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I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I'm leaning on the everlasting arms

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day

Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh

If I can see it, then I can be it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it...

The chicken and the pig may be a way to illustrate this teaching, a paradox like so many of the Christ's teachings. This little saying of the chicken and the pig goes like this: In the course of preparing a typical bacon, egg and toast breakfast there is some distinction to be made. For while the chicken gives an egg to the breakfast, the pig makes the total sacrifice. And the Christ challenges us likewise with his passion and death on the Cross. He exhorts one to make a commitment, to pick up ones' cross and follow as disciples.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,take up his cross, and follow me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.  Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”   St. Matthew 24-28
This is the prime condition of a disciple. And a chief mystery of faith is that we may first believe and then see. Belief has not a lot to do with facts or intellect. It is the gift of simple knowing. One just knows or senses deeply within the rightness of a feeling, a person or a relationship with others.