The Parable of the Three Stonemasons

A man came across three stone masons who were working at chipping chunks of granite from large blocks. The first mason seemed unhappy at his job, chipping away and frequently looking at his watch. When the man asked what it was that he was doing, the first mason responded, rather curtly, “I’m hammering this stupid rock, and I can’t wait ’til 5 when I can go home.”

A second mason, seemingly more interested in his work, was hammering diligently and when asked what it was that he was doing, answered, “Well, I’m moulding this block of rock so that it can be used with others to construct a wall. It’s not bad work, but I’ll sure be glad when it’s done.”

A third mason was hammering at his block fervently, taking time to stand back and admire his work. He chipped off small pieces until he was satisfied that it was the best he could do. When he was questioned about his work he stopped, gazed skyward and proudly proclaimed, “I…am building a cathedral!”

(parable courtesy of Bill von Achen)

The parable of the three stonemasons reminds us always to keep in mind the larger endeavour that we are engaged in. Every lesson, every new piece of knowledge, every task, is adding a new block to our own individual cathedral. The effort we put in as we shape that new knowledge, as we fit it into our wider understanding of the world, and the way that we secure that new block so it stays in place; this is the process of learning. Every quiz, practice question, homework and class discussion is another block the cathedral of our understanding. How we sculpt and finesse that block is up to us.