Consequences: How far to take a metaphor

“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; It shall never produce meals.”  Hosea 8:7

A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things to suggest a similarity and to create a vivid image or deeper understanding. In the case of understanding the deep consequences of empty choices, how do you drive home the point that nothing plus nothing equals nothing, except more of the same.  

God chose the wind—unseen on its own but not unfelt on dry leaves—to illustrate the law of consequences to His people who were caught in an ever-increasing cycle empty faith. They sowed the wind of idolatries, trusted in lesser gods, of unreliable alliances and moral compromises that resulted in a whirlwind of ruin, famine, and devastating defeats, their cities in chaos.  

Empty faith has a multiplying effect—one gust amplifies another—until a maelstrom of trouble blows in, uprooting lives built on vanity. Those who lives in the shallows are akin to foolish men in New Testament “Parable of the Builders” in Matthew 7 where the metaphor of foundations contrasts building a life on unstable "sand" i.e. empty idolatries, versus solid "rock", faith in the word of God. When the whirlwinds blew, the integrity of their choice was evidenced by the remains of their handiwork left standing. 

27"The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-- and great was its fall." Matt. 7:27 

The law of consequences is a two-way street. Those who sow compassion will reap a more sustainable, humane whirlwind—compassion multiplied. Consider how far the metaphor of sowing and reaping took these two men on a wintery night: 

A laundromat owner called the police to kick out a vagrant sleeping by his dryers. When Deputy Carter arrived and saw the man's hat, he didn't pull out handcuffs and pepper spray. He sat down on the floor instead next to 88-year-old Elijah who had nowhere else to go.  The 24-hour laundromat was the only place with heat. He found a spot on the hard linoleum floor, leaning his frail back against a running dryer just to stop shivering. 

His clothes were tattered. He was exhausted. The first thing the deputy saw was his hat first: "Vietnam Veteran”. He didn't stand over him and use his command voice. He lowered himself and sat shoulder-to-shoulder with the old man. "It's warm here, sir," the officer said softly. Elijah looked at the badge, expecting to be kicked out into the cold. "It's the only warm place I got."  

"We can get you to a place even warmer. I know a place for veterans. He didn't treat Elijah like a suspect but like a superior officer. Carter stayed on that floor for twenty minutes, listening to Elijah's story. They finally stood together and walked out together as brothers feeling better about themselves, uncuffed. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BonUcTSS3/ 

It is tempting to be cynical, to believe those who wheel unbridled authority, who live empty, faithless lived, will go unchecked. But trust the law of consequences. Those who sow the wind will not win. And those who sow compassion will reap the same and survive the cold night of this present darkness of the heart and have hopefully stories to share with their children. Take the metaphor as far as you can.