Agree with your (writ large, political) anti-christ summation at the end of this analogical story, Sells. And about the only comment worth the time of day or the effort! Fair dinkum Christians don't profess/preach or proselytize, just do!

As exemplified in your extracted story!

Not very much of it in today's conservative party ranks, just the very (greed is good, individualism) opposite!?

Tax breaks for those who don't pay tax? Negative gearing on investment housing? And without limit or a sensible ceiling! Unsustainable tax breaks and subsidised super for the super-rich etc?

If your master walked among us today Sells, he'd likely be in the chamber and taking to these pious pretenders (modern-day Sheriffs of Nottingham with his money changer's whip!? Wadda reckon?
Alan B.

'here does seem to be a connection between the Right of politics and such refusal: John Howard's denigration of the history of Aboriginal displacement as the black armband version. The Liberal party's refusal to take climate change seriously or consider a raise in New Start. This is all part of Scott Morrison's happy view of the world, no doubt fostered by the "church" that he attends.'

yeah we know Sells that compassion is owned by the left. Usually when they get paid tax payer money to perform duties rather than those who give out of their own pockets (often evangelicals). Still keep up your virtue signalling with your very narrow warped narrative.

Meanwhile, once again there is always this radical Understanding of the universal, non-sectarian, non-Christian Spiritual Gospel of Saint Jesus of Galilee. Which of course has nothing to do with the character in Wendell Berry's story.
http://www.beezone.com/AdiDa/up/forgottenesotericismjesus.html

http://www.dabase.org/up-6.htm

Meanwhile again Wendell Berry is more than likely to be found on the pages of this superb truth-telling magazine. A magazine which is conservative in the real sense/meaning of the word, and which is not in any sense right wing.

http://www.orionmagazine.org

Peter, the man of a thousand stories.

This one is a bit of a drifter. But I pulled up on the mention of "The human dilemma".

It's really a fixating subject. I believe the human dilemma is simply mans free will.
Isn't that really the point of the story?
Characters in a story are given no free will. Although it does appear to the reader that they have it. That's an illusion and the power of the author to manipulate it.

Mans free will is totally controlled by his ego. Isn't that the defining purpose of the gift of Christ.
Man can overcome the human dilemma in which he is captured, by accepting the fact he is chained to sin, which is the motivator called ego.

It's an impossible prison from which to escape, without an accomplice.

Dan

Yes Daffy, no Daffy, three bags full Daffy.

"We" the unwilling recipients of your dogma, would be better served by you, if you were to emerge from your dark cave.

Dan