Saturday’s smiles

Apropos of the earlier post on being a New Zealander:

A specialist on ecclesiastical architecture decided to write a book about famous churches around the world.

He started in Britain. On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read “10,000 pounds per call”.

The author asked the vicar who was strolling by what the telephone was used for.
The vicar said it was a direct line to heaven and that for 10,000 pounds anyone could talk to God.

The author flew to Spain and in Seville’s cathedral noticed a similar golden telephone with a similar sign under it.

He found a priest and asked what the phone was for.

He told him it was a direct line to heaven and that for 10,000 euro he could talk to God.

The author continued his travels around the world’s great churches and in each of them he came across a similar phone with a similar sign stating a similar price for a call to heaven.

His final stop was in New Zealand. He started in Dunedin where he visited Knox Church. There he saw a golden phone but the sign beside it read “40 cents per call.”

The author was surprised so he asked the minister about the phone.

“I’ve travelled all over the world and I’ve seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I’m told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in Britain the price was 10,000 pounds, everywhere in Europe it was 10,000 euro, or a similar price in local currency, but here it’s only 40 cents. Why is it so cheap?”

The minister smiled and said, “You’re in New Zealand now, mate – it’s a local call”.