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He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and, still troubled, went to town. At the post office, he placed a stamp on the letter and dropped it into the mailbox.
One of the employees, who was a postman and also helped at the post office, went to his boss laughing heartily and showed him the letter to God. Never in his career as a postman had he known that address. The postmaster — a fat, amiable fellow — also broke out laughing, but almost immediately he turned serious and, tapping the letter on his desk, commented, “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter. Starting up a correspondence with God!”
Explanation:
After completing the letter, Lencho picked an envelope and wrote "To God" as the receiver's address on it. He then placed his letter inside, and headed to the post office in the town. He looked disturbed, probably because of the ill fate that had befallen his family. When he reached the post office, he bought a stamp, pasted it on the envelope, and dropped the letter into the mailbox. Then, he left the premise after completing his mission of posting the letter.
Later, one of the employees, a postman who also worked at the post office, went to the postmaster-- his superior officer and presented him with Lencho's letter. He was laughing heartily as he handed over the letter to the postmaster. He laughed because he found the situation incredulous, as no sensible person would even think of writing a letter to God. The narrator observes the sarcasm in the postman's laugh, for he states that the address was unknown to him throughout his time as a postman.
The postmaster burst out laughing as well, but quickly became serious. The narrator describes him as a fat and friendly looking man. As he turned serious, he tapped the letter on his desk and exclaimed how strong Lencho's faith was. He also wished that he had possessed the same level of faith as the individual who wrote this letter. He was surprised by the fact that a person could have so much faith in God to actually begin a conversation wit Him.
Speaking of faith, there are people who believe in God and there are people who don't. However, even the strongest of the believers would never think about starting a correspondence with God. So, why is that? Does it mean that their faith isn't strong enough? Or is it because they believe that the Omniscient God doesn't need a letter (or any form of correspondence) to be aware of our needs and thoughts? No matter what the reasons are, Lencho's actions prove that he is naive and ignorant.
Sl. No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Envelope | A flat paper container with a sealable flap, used to enclose a letter or document |
2 | Troubled | Showing distress or anxiety |
3 | Stamp | A small adhesive piece of paper stuck to something to show that an amount of money has been paid, in particular a postage stamp |
4 | Heartily | Enthusiastically, energetically, and often loudly |
5 | Amiable | Having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner |
6 | Broke out | Start suddenly |
7 | Tapping | The action of striking against something with a quick light blow or blows, or a sound made in this way |
8 | Comment | Express an opinion or reaction in speech or writing |
9 | Faith | Complete trust or confidence in someone or something |
10 | Correspondence | Communication by exchanging letters |
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2007). First Flight. A Letter to God-G.L.Fuentes (pg. 1 - 7). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi..
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