No oxen here

"A man there was, some thought him mad -

     the more he gave, the more he had."

                                          - John Bunyan

John Bunyan was not a huge man with an ax and an ox.  He was a preacher who lived in the 1600's.  He was jailed many times for "preaching without a license," a crime that ensured that only state-approved religions were disseminated.  Despite imprisonment and slander, he continued to preach.  At times, he resorted to adopting various disguises so that he could steal into town and deliver a sermon while escaping arrest.

It is interesting to reflect on the barriers that people have overcome in order that they may practice their religion.  It makes our goal - a world where the able are free to rise to greater heights - seem all the more worthwhile.