Five hundred years ago the Moghul emperor, Jahangir, returned one of the gifts that Sir Thomas Roe gave him. It was a globe. The emperor had never seen one before, but after he understood what it was, he refused to accept it. Why?
Emperor Jahangir: “What is this round thing, young Englishman?”
Roe: “Your Excellency, it is called a globe. It is a map of the world that takes the shape we now know it has. I have even consulted this map to find my way from England to your empire.”
Emperor Jahangir: “Are you saying that this is a map that shows all the world?”
Roe: “Yes, Excellency. You can see where my country is. This is the island we call England. And here is the land on which you live. Here is the land of your sometime enemy, Portugal. It lies here (pointing) and across this ocean on another continent.”
Emperor Jahangir: “What are these other places?”
Roe: “They are other countries and empires, my Lord. Some of the places are as yet unknown by the cartographers. There might actually be many unknown places, countries, and empires.”
Emperor Jahangir (pointing to India): “Are you telling me that my empire is only this small part of the world?”
Roe (stammering): “Uh. My Lord, you have a rather large empire. It covers much of India.”
Emperor Jahangir: “Take back this gift. I do not want it. I am the ruler of a great empire. I rule the world.”
What’s it like to find out that there are others out there who also think of themselves as “ruler of the world”? What’s it like to find out that the things that are important to you are unimportant to others? What’s it like to find out that you are not the center of the universe?
There’s a well-meaning Sir Thomas Roe who comes into everyone’s life. He carries gifts.
Emperor Jahangir: “What is this round thing, young Englishman?”
Roe: “Your Excellency, it is called a globe. It is a map of the world that takes the shape we now know it has. I have even consulted this map to find my way from England to your empire.”
Emperor Jahangir: “Are you saying that this is a map that shows all the world?”
Roe: “Yes, Excellency. You can see where my country is. This is the island we call England. And here is the land on which you live. Here is the land of your sometime enemy, Portugal. It lies here (pointing) and across this ocean on another continent.”
Emperor Jahangir: “What are these other places?”
Roe: “They are other countries and empires, my Lord. Some of the places are as yet unknown by the cartographers. There might actually be many unknown places, countries, and empires.”
Emperor Jahangir (pointing to India): “Are you telling me that my empire is only this small part of the world?”
Roe (stammering): “Uh. My Lord, you have a rather large empire. It covers much of India.”
Emperor Jahangir: “Take back this gift. I do not want it. I am the ruler of a great empire. I rule the world.”
What’s it like to find out that there are others out there who also think of themselves as “ruler of the world”? What’s it like to find out that the things that are important to you are unimportant to others? What’s it like to find out that you are not the center of the universe?
There’s a well-meaning Sir Thomas Roe who comes into everyone’s life. He carries gifts.
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