There once was a free man who saw a slave being whipped by his master. The free man grabbed the whip and whipped the master, then told the slave, “You’re free now.” The slave took the whip from the free man, pulled his master up and gave it to him. The free man rolled his eyes and walked away. He told the slave where he lived in case that slave ever wanted to truly be free. When that master healed up and decided he wanted revenge, he sent the slave to kill the free man. The slave didn’t think about how the man helped him, didn’t think about all those beatings and all that cruelty. All he knew was loyalty to iniquity. He pretended to seek freedom and once the free man welcomed him, the slave killed him. The master came to the free man’s house and burned it to the ground. Then, the master killed the slave for fear of his exposure to freedom. Moral of The Story: “Be careful who you defend. Not everyone is seeking to be free.”

The Sword in the Stone of Tuscany is a legendary site with a fascinating history, often compared to the story of King Arthur’s Excalibur. Unlike the mythical sword of Arthurian legend, however, this sword is real and still embedded in the rock at Montesiepi Chapel near San Galgano Abbey. The story behind it is tied to the dramatic life of Galgano Guidotti, a former violent knight who, after a vision of Archangel Michael in 1180, renounced his past and sought a life of devotion. In an act of faith, he drove his sword into solid rock, where it miraculously sank, forming a cross with the hilt. This site became his home until his death a year later. Scientific research has confirmed the sword’s authenticity, dating it back to the 12th century, aligning it with Galgano’s era. The sword’s composition and the surrounding rock provide compelling evidence that the object has remained in place for over 800 years, further blurring the lines between legend and reality. While some once dismissed t