An old woman is nearing the end of her life. As she drifts to sleep one night, a bright light washes over her and she is transported to another realm. After some time, she wakes to find her family gathered at her bedside. She smiles and whispers to her children, “I have seen the great hereafter.”

“The great whereafter?” Her son asks.“Heaven and hell. I have seen them both.”The old woman goes on to explain, “I came upon a door, and behind it was hell. What I saw there confounded me. There was a dining hall filled with rows of tables, each table teeming with a magnificent feast. It looked and smelled delicious, yet the people seated around the tables were emaciated and sickly, moaning with hunger and frustration.

“As I came closer, I realized that each person held a very long spoon. With it they could reach the feast, but the spoon was so long they couldn’t bring food to their mouth. In spite of the abundance before them, they were starving.”She continued, “I left this horrid place and opened a new door, one that led to heaven. Inside, I was surprised to see that very same scene before

my eyes, a dining hall filled with row upon row of tables, and on those tables, a marvelous feast. But instead of moaning with hunger, the people around the tables were sitting contentedly, talking with one another and enjoying the abundance before them.

“Like those in hell, these people were holding very long spoons. As I watched, a woman dipped her spoon into a bowl of stew, but rather than struggling to feed herself, she extended her spoon to feed the man seated across from her. Now satisfied and no longer hungry, he gave thanks and returned the favor, leaning across the table to feed the woman.”

“I suddenly understood the difference between heaven and hell,” the old woman said to her family. “It is neither the qualities of the place, nor of the abundance of resources, but the way people treat each other.

“In hell, we are selfish. We would rather go hungry than give people we don’t care for the pleasure of eating.”

“But in heaven, we feed each other. We put trust in those around us, and never go hungry.”

The Parable of the Long Spoons is a story that exists, in one version or another, across many spiritual communities and cultures. Sometimes the spoons are replaced by chopsticks, tongs, or by splints that keep the arms from bending. Sometimes there is a teacher leading a student through heaven and hell, other times a traveler is speaking directly to god. In every example, the message is the same: The difference between ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’ is much less than we imagine, and it isn’t imposed upon us. What creates each condition is how we choose to be with each other.As artists and organizers, we all make decisions about how we support, and are supported by, the people around us—in our work, in our communities and in our daily lives. What kinds of nourishment do you need? Do our communities of practice provide that nourishment, or do they encourage competition, disconnection and individual gratification? What stories are we telling to illustrate the worlds we’re building together? We’re going to work in pairs to create parables, allegories or fables that symbolize lessons or insights from our own experiences as artists and organizers. Parables use extended metaphor to impart their wisdom. Allegories are similar, but often contain a hidden meaning. Fables do much the same, but employ anthropomorphized animals, mythical beasts and forces of nature. The power in these three forms is that they are easily digestible, immediately relatable and often quite memorable.

FIRST: Find a partner. Someone you don’t already know. Together, consider the message of The Parable of the Long Spoons. Share an example of a time when you experienced ‘heaven’ or ‘hell’ as a result of mutual support, or the lack thereof, amongst your collaborators or community.NEXT: What is one fundamental lesson you’ve learned through your work that you’d like to share with the network of artists and organizers gathered here? Tell each other your stories. For example: How do you sustain passion for your work? How do you avoid burnout? What practices do you have for working across communities or disciplines? How do you work with or against existing systems of power?THEN: Are there parallels you can draw between your examples? Do they tell a similar story or are they at odds with each other? Explore these similarities or differences.AND THEN: Work together to combine your lessons into a new parable, allegory or fable. Share this story in whatever way you feel comfortable—narrative, illustration, poetry, etc. If you’re not in the mood for story-telling, any and all words of wisdom are welcome!FINALLY: After you’re happy with your stories, share them with the people around you. Please visit wefeedeachother.tumblr.com and add your voice to a growing collection of stories from creative people all around the country.

We Feed Each Other is a project by Works Progress and Husbands in Minneapolis, Minnesota.