Parable of the Father Who Lost Two Sons

Parable of the Man
Who Lost Two Sons


One son was physically dead, the other son was spiritually dead. He loved them both so it was crushing to lose both in the war with white supremacy America, but he did, as many other parents lost children, especially sons. His friend, Dr. Salat (RIP) lost two sons as well, one had life in prison, the other in and out of prison, so basically he lost two sons. This grieved him unto death, even more so because he had had a most beautiful relationship with his father, who used to dress him as he dressed himself and drive him around in the latest model cars, introducing him to his father's women who treated the son as a royal child, blessing him with money and other gifts.

But the man who lost two sons grieved, not only for the son physically departed, but the son still alive but spiritually dead (in the father's mind), the son who avoided his father at every turn, yet he could never equal his father in many ways, just as his father could not equal his father no matter how hard he tried. For the father's father was a great man in his own right, and there were people who constantly reminded the son how great his father was, a man of the people.

So the son of the son knew he could not outdo his father, no matter what he accomplished, even though he was a master builder himself. His son was a Christian who managed the construction of his church's family center. The preachers told the father that the family center was his son's, not theirs, since the son had managed the laying of every brick.

His son was thus a master builder, yet he could not out build the father, just as the father could not out build his father. It was crystal clear to the father that he could not out do his father. His father was a Race Man, a man of the people. He was a social man who mixed with the people, while the son had no intention to be a social animal, who was at best a nerd who lived a reclusive life, only coming out to the public on occasion to perform, speak or when he appeared on the street to teach at his Academy of Da Corner, 14th and Broadway, Oakland.

So the son of the son avoided his father at every turn, even when he came to the family compound, which was rare, he would not come to his father's house, but went to his sister's house, rather than his father's house in the rear, even though the father's door was open and the father could hear his son's voice in the back yard.

You might say the father should have reached out to his son, but he had tried to reach out to his son on many occasions, but the son had issues of abandonment and emotional abuse, so he avoided the father like the plague, or he would speak, embrace, but there would be no conversation.


Maybe there was hatred of the father induced by the mother!

You might say why didn't the father walk out his door to greet his son in the backyard, but the father was in traumatized as well. Only now was he beginning to heal from the transition of his son. Having his grandson in the front house helped his healing. He could see the spirit of his son in his grandson, even his physical appearance, and especially his intelligence.

The father relented and went into his daughter's house to greet his son who welcomed him with open arms. His son's wife had died of a heart attack a couple of years ago, leaving the son to raise two children, a twin boy and girl.

He greeted his granddaughter as well, who questioned him about his new book The Wisdom of Plato Negro, Parables/fables.

She didn't understand the symbolic meaning of the Parable of the Elephant. You can be the elephant, granddaughter, he said, you run track but can be treated as an elephant, standing on one leg, representing yourself as a track star, but yet you can be regarded as the elephant, doing tricks for the glorification of your trainer. The father turned to his son to co-sign his remarks to his granddaughter. His son co-signed.

Of course the father loved his son who was his namesake and a good husband and father, especially now that he was raising his children alone. The son had always been a leader, even while playing football in college, he was captain of the defense. The father had watched his son sack many quarterbacks. He tried out for the 49rs, but gave up football after he was cut. He worked as a computer program manager and was a deacon at his church. So the father was proud of his son's intelligence and spirituality, although he had problems with his religiosity, but the father never pushed religion on his children. His three daughters had evolved beyond religiosity to spirituality. He prayed his son would one day expand his spiritual consciousness.
--Marvin X
5/22/10