Once upon a time there was a land where everyone was crippled. Everyone limped and walked crookedly. But since everyone was crippled, no one thought it was strange or unusual. No one really thought about it.
One day a physician came into the land. He walked strangely, not like everyone else. He told the people that they were limping and crippled and that he wanted to heal them. Many of the people thought the physician was crazy with his awkward walk and preposterous ideas.
Some people decided that they would see what this “healing” was all about. So they went to see the physician and allowed him to work. He straightened them out and they began to walk strangely like the physician. But they realized that it wasn’t so strange. They realized that they were walking straight, that this is how they were supposed to walk. They began to tell the others how wonderful it was.
The reception was still mixed. Some went to see the physician to be healed because they realized they were crippled. “Walking straight” looked so much better and they wanted it. Some avoided the physician because everything was normal and peaceful until he came along and said that they were all crippled and walking crooked.
Some avoided the physician because it was normal to limp, and at least they didn’t limp as badly as the next person. But just because one didn’t limp the same as another didn’t mean they weren’t just as crippled.
Some avoided the physician because he made people walk strangely like he walked, and they didn’t want to look ridiculous. But they could have been healed to walk straightly.
Some avoided the physician because they felt they were too crippled to try to go to him, or that they were so far crippled that he couldn’t help. But there was no cripple who was so crooked that the physician could not heal them, for he was astoundingly good at his chosen line of work.
There was no reason or excuse for any cripple not to go to the physician. There was no cripple who was not absolutely welcome to see the physician, for he was never too busy.
Some people came to the physician, but never allowed him to work. They stayed crippled, for the physician would not force his healing on anyone.
But every cripple that went to the physician and allowed him to work walked straightly when he was through, and it only took one session! However it did take some time to get used to the new way of walking. Many faltered and stumbled, but therapy, practice, and training were made readily available. Those who continued to see the physician began to walk quite well. Some of them even began to run.