Moral Cliches

The people in a certain Home knew all the moral cliches so well that they'd just call out a number instead of giving the whole sermon. "One" was that money couldn't buy you happiness. "Three" was that faith could move mountains. "Seven" was that what everybody needed was love, and so on and so forth. Somebody would say, "Fourteen!" and everyone would be deeply moved. Someone else would say, "Seventy-two!" and everyone would be encouraged and inspired. Well, the newcomer listened for while and then called out, "Twenty-four!" but no one was touched. Then the guy in the chair next to him sighed, "I guess some people just don't know how to give devotions."

This slightly passé and easily misunderstood parody is what I feel like when someone tries to preach to me. Not that what they're saying isn't profound and true and the answer. It is. And it's simple. Take a number.