The Barber Shop

Value: Truth

Sub-Value: Belief, Faith

The audio of the story is available on the podcast Sai Prem at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1498462/episodes/9664192

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began a good conversation and talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said, “I don’t believe that God exists.”

“Why do you say that?” asked the customer.

“Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned, children? Would there be either suffering or pain? I can’t imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.” answered the barber.

The customer thought for a moment but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber: “You know what? Barbers do not exist.”

“How can you say that? I am here, and I am a barber. And, I just worked on you!” said the surprised barber.

“No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist. If they did, would there be any person with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like the man outside?

“Ah, but barbers DO exist! This what happens when people do not come to me” replied the barber with a sigh!

“Exactly!” affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! Because people do not look out to God for help, suffering and pain exist in this world. When people start looking for him, happiness will always be our companion. God DOES exist!

Learning

God exists only when one chooses to look out for Him. Where is He not?

Every creation we see is His. From the rising of the sun to the rain to the wind, and all the nature and people around us are created by Him. The smile on our faces, our sympathy towards those suffering, love for our near and dear ones are all prompted by Him, who is within us. We take His creation for granted.

When we look out for Him both outside and within us, we will see Him smiling and ever waiting to hear us.